Alabama defeats Georgia Tech; forces Monday game

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It started badly and got worse for Georgia Tech.

Lead-off batter Taylor Dugas hit the first pitch in the bottom of the first inning for a home run and Alabama hit three more on Sunday night to defeat the eighth-seeded Yellow Jackets 8-1 in the NCAA regional at Russ Chandler Stadium.

"We didn't have many answers," Tech coach Danny Hall said.

The good news for Tech (47-14) is it will get another crack at Alabama (40-23) at 7 p.m. on Monday in the elimination game. The winner will advance to the super regionals. Jed Bradley (9-4, 4.17 ERA) will pitch for Tech. Alabama is considering starting left-hander Taylor Wolfe (3-2, 5.31).

From Alabama assigned to the home team's dugout (a team can't be the home side in three consecutive tournament games), to hitting the home runs, to its starting pitcher going deep in the game, the script was flipped for Tech.

Unlike Mark Pope and Deck McGuire, who totaled 17 innings in Tech's first two wins, Yellow Jackets starter Brandon Cumpton (9-3) labored through just one inning. Missing his spots by what catcher Cole Leonida said was a little bit, Cumpton gave up five earned runs on three homers. Hall pulled him after he allowed a lead-off double to  Brock Bennett in the second inning, followed by a ball to Dugas. Buck Farmer came in and allowed two earned runs in seven innings, which allowed Hall to rest the bullpen.

Cumpton had given up seven homers on his way to tying as the ACC's winningest pitcher this season, but he couldn't quiet Alabama's bats. Dugas and Jon Kelton, who had each hit one homer this season, crushed fastballs in the first. Neither went as far as Jake Smith's three-run blast to center field off another wandering fastball. Alabama, which had just 57 homers this season, hadn't hit three in an inning this year.

Tech tried to rally and it has experience at it, scoring at least six runs in an inning 16 times this season.

Matt Skole hit a solo shot  to center field in the second to set a new single-season team record (120), but that's all the the Jackets could muster in putting just two runners in scoring position. Saying that he fed off the energy of a five-run lead, left-hander Adam Morgan (7-4) kept Tech off balance with breaking balls out of the zone. He allowed just five hits and struck out nine for his first complete game this season. Tech fell to 21-8 against lefty starters this season.

"We felt if we could get to this game he'd give us a good chance to win," Alabama coach Mitch Gaspard said.

Playing a Monday elimination game is a familiar scenario for Tech. The Jackets were beaten by Southern Miss, 12-8, in the same situation last season. Georgia defeated them, 18-6, in 2008.

Hall said he's not sure what they can apply from their experience in the elimination game, other than the team must improve its approach at the plate, pitch better and play better.

"If we do that we'll have a great opportunity to win the regional," he said. "It's hard to win a regional. There are a lot of good teams like Alabama. We've got to perform and play well."

Atlanta regional

Who: Alabama (40-23) vs. Georgia Tech (47-14)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Russ Chandler Stadium

TV: CSS

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