Georgia Tech's baseball team didn't get to be 30-5 without balance, and the Yellow Jackets' versatility and keen sense of timing were on display as and after Tech played small ball to defeat Clemson 4-3 on Saturday at Russ Chandler Stadium in front of a crowd of 2,491.
Tech won on three consecutive two-out singles in the seventh inning one day after beating the Tigers with three home runs, including a two-run walk-off in the 10th inning by Chase Burnette.
Crunch-time pitching was a factor Saturday, too, as Brandon Cumpton (6-0), Buck Farmer and Andrew Robinson (third save) held the Tigers (23-13, 10-7) to two earned runs. It was hardly a surprise; the over-riding theme for this team has been the Jackets’ steady deployment of widespread assets and attitude.
Burnette doubled in the seventh and scored on a two-out single by No. 8 hitter Jacob Esch. No. 9 hitter Brandon Thomas -- who had three RBIs in Friday’s 8-6 win -- and leadoff hitter Jeff Rowland followed with singles to give the Jackets a 4-3 lead that stood up.
“We all just try to pick each other up,” said Rowland, who had two hits Saturday. “This year, we’re really fortunate to be strong top to bottom.”
The Jackets remain in first place in the ACC’s Coastal Division with a 14-3 conference record. They also seem in control of their surroundings.
In coach Danny Hall’s postgame media rundown, with his jaw still clinched in full competition mode he said, “If your team is getting two-out hits, you have a chance to win.” At that exact moment across the infield, injured pitcher Kevin Jacob blasted Derek Dietrich in the face with shaving cream as Dietrich did a TV interview.
There was concern among teammates that Jacob, out with a shoulder injury, would blow the stunt in just Tech’s third televised game of the year. Alas, the light was on, the camera was rolling, the timing was perfect -- on and off the field of play.
“A lot of us have played summer ball against each other and with each other,” Cumpton said. “I think the chemistry on this team is great.”
As was the home run Dietrich hit with one out in the fourth inning after Clemson pitcher Scott Weismann (3-2) retired Tech’s first 10 hitters, five by strikeout. “He dominated us early,” Hall said. "He was throwing a lot of fastballs by us, and we couldn't get on top of it, but I felt like the second time through, and especially the third time through, we started getting good looks at him.”
The Jackets led 2-1 after designated hitter Thomas Nichols hit his fourth homer of the season in the fifth inning.
Tech got a hit each from the Nos. 7, 8 and 9 hitters (Nichols, Esch and Thomas). They combined to score and drive in half of the Jackets’ four runs. Clemson’s 7-9 hitters produced two hits, no runs and no RBIs as the Tigers lost for the fifth time in six games.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
