OXFORD, Miss. - Knocked into the loser’s bracket Saturday, Georgia Tech survived the first game. The Yellow Jackets defeated Jacksonville State 4-2 in an elimination game Sunday at the Ole Miss NCAA baseball regional.
With the score tied at 1, third-seeded Tech nearly played itself out of the ninth before scoring its go-ahead runs. Ryan Peurifoy singled, but then Mitch Earnest popped up his sacrifice-bunt attempt for the first out and then Peurifoy was caught stealing. With two out and none on, Daniel Spingola and Mott Hyde singled to put runners on first and third. Matt Gonzalez drove Travis Stout’s pitch into the right-center gap to score both and to give Tech a 3-1 lead. Thomas Smith followed with a single to left to score Gonzalez.
Reliever Dusty Isaacs, who had entered the game in relief of Sam Clay in the bottom of the eighth, loaded the bases with none out, but retired the next three Gamecocks to end the game.
The Jackets (37-26) will play again at 8 p.m. Eastern in another elimination game against No. 2 Washington, which was defeated 2-1 by top-seeded Ole Miss Sunday afternoon. Fourth-seeded Jacksonville State, the Ohio Valley Conference champion, finished its season at 36-27.
A considerable problem for Tech coach Danny Hall is that he used his two top relievers, Clay and Isaacs, to beat Jacksonville State. They may not be available for Sunday night’s game.
As it has repeatedly this season, Tech relied on pitching and defense to stay in the game. Starter Devin Stanton worked out of a two-on, one-out situation in the bottom of the fourth with the help of a double play. Peurifoy threw out a Gamecocks base runner at third in the seventh to help quell a rally. In the bottom of the eighth, shortstop Connor Justus cut down a runner at third with a quick throw to third baseman Brandon Gold.
Tech received five innings of one-run pitching from Stanton, who gave the ball to Sam Clay after one batter in the sixth.
The winner of the 8 p.m. game will play again Monday at 3 p.m. against Ole Miss, needing to win two in a row to take the regional.
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