#STINGDAILY: Summer League Update

Aug 19, 2013

By Jon Cooper
Sting Daily

As school gets back in session, Georgia Tech Baseball can look back on another very successful summer around the nation’s summer leagues. A pair of Yellow Jackets went deep into the playoffs.

Here’s a final look at the playoff runs of pitcher Josh Heddinger and infielder Matt Gonzalez as well as the final numerical totals for all the Jackets during summer league action.

Coastal Plain League
Josh Heddinger, Peninsula Pilots – The sophomore right-hander played a big part in Peninsula capturing the CPL Petitt Cup. After sitting during the three-game East Division Championship series over Edenton, which took place between starts, Heddinger set the Pilots on course toward victory in Game One of the Championship round against Columbia, a 5-4, 10-inning victory. He navigated easily through 5 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run and five hits, striking out six and walking three and left with a 3-1 lead. The lead would grow to 4-1, before a three-run rally in the eighth tied the game and denied Heddinger the win. Peninsula would win in 10 innings. In two postseason starts, Heddinger allowed three runs (two earned) in 12.0 innings, striking out 10 while walking four and held opposing hitters to a .227 batting average.

Peninsula wrapped up the series with a 2-1, eight-inning victory in Game Two, two days later, on Aug. 17.

Cape Cod LeagueMatt Gonzalez, Bourne Braves – Gonzalez helped Bourne get to the Western Division Championship but the Braves lost in two straight to the Cotuit Kettleers. After not playing in the first game, Gonzalez DH’ed and went 2-for-4 with the season on the line, including a two-run single in the top of the sixth that snapped a 1-1 tie. But the Braves would not hold the lead and Gonzalez later struck out with the go-ahead run at third in the eighth and the score tied 3-3. He was in the hole when the season ended.

In Game One of the semifinals, Bourne was on the short end of a 9-2 loss, as Cotuit scored five runs in the bottom of the second and never looked back. The Braves stranded runners in scoring position in four of the first six innings. In the second game, Bourne had one-run and two-run leads but couldn’t hold either, allowing the Kettleers to tie the game in the ensuing half-inning. After failing to score with second and third and none out in the top of the eighth, Cotuit pushed across a run in the bottom half then closed the game out to get to the championship round, which they would eventually win, knocking off Orleans.

Pitching Totals

Hitting Totals

— RamblinWreck.com—