THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball fell 5-4 in a back-and-forth affair against Chattahoochee Valley Community College on Saturday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium in its second fall exhibition against outside competition.
In the predetermined 12-inning game, both teams combined for 20 hits, but it was the Yellow Jackets’ bullpen staff that impressed most, striking out 18 batters on the day.
On the mound for Tech, Jonathan Hughes and Joseph Mannelly led the game with three strikeouts apiece, while Connor Thomas, Jake Lee, Luke Bartnicki and Cort Roedig each had two. Lee (four) and Hugh Chapman (one) were the only arms to give up runs on the day as the Jackets tossed 10 scoreless innings overall.
Georgia Tech started off the game with a run in their first time at the plate. Luke Waddell began to sequence with a shot up the middle, before Austin Wilhite knocked one of his three base hits on the day through the right side. Tristin English was then able to capitalize with a sac fly that brought Waddell home – getting the first of his team-high two RBI.
As Tech’s pitching staff kept the Pirates off the board, English came through for another RBI in the third inning when he smoked a ball through the left side to bring home Waddell, who had reached third off a stolen base and an error on CVCC’s pitcher in an attempted pickoff throw.
Chatt Valley would then score the majority of its runs in the fourth inning with the Pirates getting three hits and four walks in the inning.
The Jackets would respond, however, in the bottom-half of the fourth when Cole Neuber reached on his second hit before crossing home two batters later when third basemen Billy Zinnershine reached on a fielder’s choice.
The Pirates would put up just one run in the ninth before Tech responded with one of its own in the bottom half to make it 5-3. Catcher Cameron Turley would then bring GT within one run when he stretched a bloop single into a double that also scored Ryan Miller, who reached third on a wild pitch.
Georgia Tech baseball will conclude its fall season when it hosts the annual White vs. Gold World Series. This year’s edition will be a single-game showdown on Wednesday, Oct. 31. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
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