Oct. 22, 2012
THE FLATS – #TeamDove brought the tying run to third base during a furious three-run rally in the seventh inning, but #TeamFarmer held on for a 7-6 victory Monday at Russ Chandler Stadium to even Georgia Tech’s White-Gold Series at one game each. The deciding game is set for Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Sophomore Daniel Spingola finished 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and two runs, while classmates AJ Murray (3-for-4, 2 runs), Charles Sheffield (2 RBI) and Thomas Smith (2-for-3, 1 RBI) aided in the winning effort.
#TeamFarmer sends junior RHP Jonathan Roberts to the mound for Game 3 on Tuesday, while #TeamDove counters with junior righty DeAndre Smelter. Admission to Russ Chandler Stadium for Tuesday’s game is free.
After taking Friday’s series-opener 5-2, #TeamDove went right back to work in the bottom of the first when Brandon Thomas hit a solo homer to right for a 1-0 lead.
But #TeamFarmer took advantage of three errors by the home team in the top of the second, and scored three times to take a lead they would not relinquish. Now working with the lead, sophomore starter Josh Heddinger settled in and pitched five strong innings with five hits, three runs, no walks and five strikeouts to earn the win.
The White Team extended its lead to 5-2 in the third thanks to consecutive RBIs from Spingola and Sheffield. Then tacked on what would prove to be much-needed insurance runs with a solo homer from freshman Cole Miller in the sixth and another RBI from Sheffield for a 7-3 lead in the seventh.
Dove’s squad went to work with four consecutive one-out singles in the bottom of the seventh from Connor Lynch, Jordan Hunt, Grant Wruble and pinch-hitter Alex Cruz. The latter being a two-run single through the left side that made it 7-5. Wruble would eventually score on a wild pitch that moved pinch-runner DeAndre Smelter to third, but freshman reliever Jared Jillson got a pair of strike outs to end the game.
Starter Cole Pitts was on the wrong end of the decision for #TeamDove, allowing six hits and five runs (two earned) with no walks and five strikeouts in four innings. For the Gold, Daniel Palka was 2-for-3 with a monster home run to right field, and Sam Dove had two hits.
Notes: Daniel Spingola leads all hitters in the series with a .625 average (5-for-8)… There have been 11 combined errors through two games, leading to nine unearned runs… Of the 35 combined hits in the series, just eight have gone for extra bases… Pitchers have issued just three walks to go with 34 strikeouts.
