The final score would indicate offensive fireworks, but it was actually defense that made the biggest difference for Georgia Tech as the Yellow Jackets rolled past Georgia 13-6 Tuesday night at Foley Field.
Tech collected 13 hits against five UGA pitchers on the way to a 13-6 victory. But was the Bulldogs’ nine walks, three errors and various other mishandled defensive chances that let an otherwise competitive game spiral out of hand. Conversely, the Jackets were making SportsCenter highlight plays all over the yard.
“I think our defense was definitely the big key,” said Yellow Jackets left-fielder Matt Gonzalez, who hit a three-run homer in the second inning. “C.J. (shortstop Connor Justus) made a couple of big plays up the middle and our pitching kept us in the ball game even if we hadn’t scored 13 runs. So defense was definitely big.”
Justus, a sophomore from Cartersville, made two huge stab-and-throws from deep in the hole behind second base to kill Georgia scoring opportunities and the Yellow Jackets managed to double-up the speedy Stephen Wrenn to quell a potential rally in the eighth inning.
“Frustrating,” Georgia coach Scott Stricklin said. “You give a team 12 free bases and you’re not going to win.”
Gonzalez led the Jackets offensively, driving in four runs on three hits, including the three-run bomb. Thomas Smith also homered and Daniel Spingola reached base four times on three walks and a hit-by-pitch and scored twice.
Sophomore right-hander Matt Phillips was awarded the win in relief of starter Devin Stanton, who left in the second inning. Three other pitchers shut out the Bulldogs over the final 5 2/3 innings.
The win was Tech’s third in a row in the series. The Yellow Jackets (18-10) lost 1-0 in Athens last year then won the last two in Atlanta at Russ Chandler Stadium and Turner Field. Georgia (18-12) and Tech will play at those venues April 14 and May 12 this season.
“We’re happy to win over here for sure,” said Tech coach Danny Hall. “This is a neat series and it’s nice tto play the last one Turner Field. It’s good for everybody in the state and it’s for a good cause.
The Yellow Jackets struck hard and fast on Tuesday. Facing freshman left-hander Ryan Avidano, Spingola’s lead-off walk was followed by three hits, including a two-RBI double from Connor Justus for a quick 3-0 lead. The Jackets added three more on Gonzalez’s homer to left in the second inning.
“He threw me a first-pitch curve ball for a strike and I thought he was going to come with something else off speed,” said Gonzalez, who now has three homers and 19 RBI on the season. “He ended up coming with a fast ball right over the middle of the play and I was able to come through with some quick hands and got to it.”
Georgia came off the mat in the bottom half. Two walks and a Mike Bell single loaded the bases for Nick King, who drove home two runs with a single to center. After Stephen Wrenn extended his reach-base-safely streak to 30 games with a single, Skyler Weber drove in two more on a single to center field. Jared Walsh added a two-out RBI single to make it a one-run game after two.
But big boot in the third inning helped Tech expand the lead. Shortstop Nick King was charged with two errors when he mishandled a ground ball and then threw wildly to first. Two more walks led to a pair of unearned runs, and Avidano was done for the night after facing 19 batters in 2 2/3 innings.
“We get it to 6-5 and then we make two big errors to give them two more runs,” Stricklin said. “It looks like we’re out of that inning, we’ve got all the momentum and then we don’t make a play. Next inning, same thing. … And they made five or six big-time plays.”
Georgia would draw to within two again at 8-6 when Nick King scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth. But sloppy fielding undid the Dogs again in the fifth. Wade Bailey reached and advanced to second on UGA’s third error of the night and scored off Arden Pabst’s single to left. A balk, a walk and a single left the bases loaded with one out, and Pabst scored another unearned run for the Jackets off a shallow sac fly to second baseman Mike Bell in foul territory.
The Bulldogs would never seriously threaten again.
“Winning over here is huge,” Gonzalez said. “Anyone who knows anything about baseball knows this is a huge rivalry and you want to get Game One every time wherever it is.”
About the Author
