Oct. 22, 2013
THE FLATS – Freshman Elliott Barzilli broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run home run in the sixth inning and the White Team took down the Gold Team, 3-2, Tuesday to claim the decisive game of the White-Gold Series at Russ Chandler Stadium.
BOX SCORE | WHITE TEAM FINAL FALL STATS | GOLD TEAM FINAL FALL STATS
After winning an earlier seven-game series in five games, the White Team needed to rally and win the final two games of a three-game mini-series, after Gold walked off with a Game 1 victory.
Tuesday’s game put an end to the Yellow Jackets’ fall practice schedule. Tech opens the 2014 season officially in mid-February.
“I think we got a lot accomplished,” said head coach Danny Hall, who enters the season 38 wins shy of his 1,100th career victory. “We still have some work to do, but we got to see a lot of guys in a lot of different positions. I was really curious to what our offense was going to look like, but we’ve made progress with that, but that’s still one area we’ve got to improve on. I like where we are defensively. I like our chemistry. I think a lot of times that chemistry and camaraderie can overcome a lot. But overall I was very pleased with what went on (this fall). We’ve got great work habits and really came every day to get better and that’s a positive sign for me.”
The White Team jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first as freshman CF Keenan Innis singled to lead off the game, swiped second and scored when freshman C Arden Pabst ripped a base-hit to left . Innis was on base all four times Tuesday with a single and three walks and the rookie finished the fall hitting a White Team-best .385 with seven runs and five stolen bases.
The Gold Team plated the equalizer in the third when junior OF Daniel Spingola, who was 3-for-3 Tuesday, singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
In the sixth, senior Alex Cruz walked, and in the next at bat, Barzilli launched his first homer to deep left to break the 1-1 tie. Barzilli was impressive in the fall, hitting .333 with a double, a triple a homer and four RBI.
The Gold Team got one back in the sixth thanks to freshman OF Eric Knox’s RBI up the middle that scored rookie SS Connor Justus, who doubled. But Gold would get no closer.
Cruz tossed the final inning for the White Team and fanned two in slamming the door on the series.
