Georgia Tech had plenty of opportunities to win today's regional final vs in-state rival Georgia and set up a winner take all tomorrow, but the Yellow Jackets made too many late game mistakes and the Bulldogs escaped with a win.
Georgia Tech raced out to a 5-2 lead after a big second inning, but the Yellow Jackets offense could not get any runs across the plate until extra innings. They had an 8-3 lead going into the 8th, but Georgia got a leadoff home run to cut the lead to one run. Georgia Tech was three outs away from winning in the 9th, but another home run tied the game.
The heartbreak did not stop there though.
The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th and with a full count, it looked like Payton Green was going to have ball four outside the strike zone, but he decided to take a swing. Instead of a walk-off win with a bases loaded walk, Green grounded out and the game went to extras. After an error and poor pitching allowed Georgia to score three runs in the top of the third. The Yellow Jackets had another opportunity with the bases loaded, but only scored one run and lost in extras.
The season is now over for Georgia Tech. They fought hard after losing the opening game vs UNC Wilmington, but losing a game like that after so many chances to win, especially against an in-state rival, has to sting.
Here is the recap from a tough night in Athens.
Mason Patel was on the mound as the starter for the Yellow Jackets and here was the lineup they used:
. 1b Cam Jones
2. CF Drew Burress
3. DH Matthew Ellis
4. 3B John Giesler
5. RF Bobby Zmarzlak
6. 2B Mike Becchetti
7. SS Payton Green
8. LF Parker Brosius
9. C Vahn Lackey
This game did not start off well for Patel.
He hit the leadoff batter and then Charlie Condon singled to put runners on the corners for the Bulldogs with no outs. Back-to-back RBI's gave Georgia a 2-0 lead, but Patel was able to limit the damage to just two runs.
The Yellow Jackets were able to get a run back in the bottom of the 1st. After Jones grounded out, Burress hit a triple and then Ellis brought him home with an RBI single to make it 2-1. It was the only run of the inning for Georgia Tech, but it was a start.
Patel got a strikeout and sent the Bulldogs lineup down 1-2-3 in the top of the 2nd. That gave way to a huge offensive inning for the Yellow Jackets.
VAHN LACKEY 3-RUN NUKE!!@LackeyVahn | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/BHLFh9dUSw
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) June 2, 2024
Georgia Tech was not done though. Jones singled and after Burress flew out, Ellis reached on an error. Giesler then hit an RBI single to push the lead to 5-2 and then the inning was over. It was a huge inning for the offense, their biggest of the weekend.
The 3rd inning saw neither team get a hit and Patel would have another nice inning in the top of the 4th, where he only allowed run base runner. After a shaky start, Patel settled in really nicely and shook off the rough moments from the 1st inning. Georgia Tech's offense only got a baserunner when Burress walked, but no hits from the Yellow Jackets in the bottom of the 4th.
Georgia got a run back in the top of the 5th. A leadoff single and then a walk set up a Condon RBI single to pull Georgia closer and make it 5-3. That was the end of the day for Patel and Ben King came in to replace him. He got out of the jam and got the game to the bottom of the 5th.
The Yellow Jackets got a pair of base runners due to walks in the bottom of the 5th, but the Yellow Jackets could not take advantage again. They still held a 5-3 advantage, but it was feeling like they needed to add some runs to make the lead safer.
King worked through the Bulldogs lineup easily and in the bottom of the 6th, it looked like Georgia Tech might be in a position to land some more runs, but bad base running cut the inning short. Burress had a two out single and then after that, Ellis looked like he was going to have a single and then the Yellow Jackets would have two runners on, but Burress tried to get to third and was tagged out. It was still 5-3 heading to the 7th.
Georgia had another chance to do some damage in the top of the 7th, but Georgia Tech found a way to get out of it. A fly-out and then a walk brought Condon back to the plate and Danny Hall decided to bring in Logan McGuire to replace King. He got out of the jam and Georgia Tech still led 5-3 going into the bottom of the 7th.
Giesler walked to start the inning, but the next three batters struck out and Georgia Tech had not scored any runs since the second inning.
Things got tense for the Yellow Jackets in the top of the 8th. Tre Phelps hit a solo home run for the Bulldogs to cut the lead to 5-4. Credit to McGuire though for getting the next three outs and ending the inning. Still, it was a one-run game heading into the bottom of the 8th.
The Yellow Jackets offense was still unable to put anything together. They went down 1-2-3 and the game went to the top of the 9th.
Georgia Tech then proceeded to give up a solo home run to lead off the top of the 9th and the game was tied. It was a huge gut punch after only being three outs away. Dawson Brown, who pitched in the game earlier in the day vs UNC Wilmington, came in for McGuire. Brown was able to get the Yellow Jackets out of the inning and into the bottom of the 9th, where Georgia Tech needed just one run to win the game.
Burress was the leadoff hitter and he wound up walking to start the inning to give Georgia Tech a baserunner with no outs. The Yellow Jackets had a golden opportunity in the bottom of the 9th. Georgia Tech loaded the bases with two outs and made a pitching change. With the count 3-2 and the bases loaded, Payton Green swung at what looked like was going to be ball four and he got a piece of it and grounded out to end the inning. Georgia Tech had a chance to win the game, but coughed up a massive opportunity and the game went to extra innings.
Riley Stanford came in for Georgia Tech in the top of the 10th and it was a disaster from the start. He hit the leadoff batter then gave up a single to put two runners on. An error then allowed a runner to score to make it 6-5. Tate McKee then came in the game and got two big strikeouts and it appeared that he was going to get out of the inning with the Yellow Jackets only trailing by a run. Then, UGA had a two-out 2-RBI double to make it an 8-5 game. Georgia Tech trailed by three going into the bottom of the 10th.
After a leadoff single from Yunger, Lackey walked and put two runners on base and Georgia decided to switch pitchers. Jones singled to load the bases and the winning run came to the plate with no outs. Burress had a chance to win the game, but struck out looking. A sac fly from Ellis made it 8-6, but Georgia Tech now had two outs. Giesler came to the plate with a chance to win the game, but grounded out and the Bulldogs won, advancing to the super regional vs NC State.
