Led by sophomore Jacob Esch’s three-RBI day, the third-ranked Georgia Tech baseball team scored five runs in the final two innings for an 8-5 win over Georgia Southern Wednesday afternoon at J.J. Clements Stadium in Statesboro.
Esch, who was 3-for-5 at the plate on the day, knocked in two of his three RBI’s in a three run top of the ninth for the Yellow Jackets, who move to 5-0 on the season. Georgia Southern falls to 1-4.
“I was very impressed with the way our hitters came out today, especially against Georgia Southern’s ace pitcher,” head coach Danny Hall said. “Chase [Burnett] and Jacob [Esch], along with Cole Leonida came through with some very key at-bats in the end and our pitching staff had a great effort out there.”
Junior left-hander Zach Brewster, a former standout at North Hall High, picked up the win on the mound.
Senior Tony Plagman put the Jackets on board in the top of the first, with a two-run homer to right field, breaking a two-game, 10 at-bat hitless streak. The home run for Plagman was his fourth of the season and the 38th of his career.
Georgia Southern grabbed one back in the bottom half of the inning, when the Eagle’s left fielder Shawn Payne scored from third on a groundout to second. The run ended Tech’s 18-inning shutout streak.
GSU would then even the score at two apiece on the next at-bat, as third baseman A.J. Wirnsberger sent a pitch from Farmer over the wall in left field.
The home run was just the first surrendered by the Tech pitching staff this the season.
Farmer started the game for Tech, and allowed just two runs on three hits in five innings.
Junior Chase Burnette, a Buford graduate, put the Jackets back on top in the fifth with a double to right center off Georgia Southern pitcher Jake Brown, scoring Plagman from second. Plagman put himself in scoring position with a single to right field and then a steal just one pitch later.
Senior Andrew Robinson entered the bottom of the sixth, and ran into some trouble quickly. After a single, a double and a walk, the Eagles loaded the bases before a groundout to shortstop scored the tying run at 3-3. Robinson retired the next two batters to get out of the inning safely.
Tech broke through in the top of the eighth on a single by Esch to left field off of Brown. After Burnette led off the inning with a single, senior Jay Dantzler bunted him over to second. Junior catcher Cole Leonida, who entered the game in the seventh, then setup runners on the corners with a single of his own to left field before Esch’s RBI hit made it 4-3.
The Jackets return to action at 4 p.m. Friday when they play host to the Xavier Musketeers for a three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Esch, who was 3-for-5 at the plate on the day, knocked in two of his three RBI’s in a three run top of the ninth for the Yellow Jackets, who move to 5-0 on the season. Georgia Southern falls to 1-4.
“I was very impressed with the way our hitters came out today, especially against Georgia Southern’s ace pitcher,” head coach Danny Hall said. “Chase [Burnett] and Jacob [Esch], along with Cole Leonida came through with some very key at-bats in the end and our pitching staff had a great effort out there.”
Junior left-hander Zach Brewster, a former standout at North Hall High, picked up the win on the mound.
Senior Tony Plagman put the Jackets on board in the top of the first, with a two-run homer to right field, breaking a two-game, 10 at-bat hitless streak. The home run for Plagman was his fourth of the season and the 38th of his career.
Georgia Southern grabbed one back in the bottom half of the inning, when the Eagle’s left fielder Shawn Payne scored from third on a groundout to second. The run ended Tech’s 18-inning shutout streak.
GSU would then even the score at two apiece on the next at-bat, as third baseman A.J. Wirnsberger sent a pitch from Farmer over the wall in left field.
The home run was just the first surrendered by the Tech pitching staff this the season.
Farmer started the game for Tech, and allowed just two runs on three hits in five innings.
Junior Chase Burnette, a Buford graduate, put the Jackets back on top in the fifth with a double to right center off Georgia Southern pitcher Jake Brown, scoring Plagman from second. Plagman put himself in scoring position with a single to right field and then a steal just one pitch later.
Senior Andrew Robinson entered the bottom of the sixth, and ran into some trouble quickly. After a single, a double and a walk, the Eagles loaded the bases before a groundout to shortstop scored the tying run at 3-3. Robinson retired the next two batters to get out of the inning safely.
Tech broke through in the top of the eighth on a single by Esch to left field off of Brown. After Burnette led off the inning with a single, senior Jay Dantzler bunted him over to second. Junior catcher Cole Leonida, who entered the game in the seventh, then setup runners on the corners with a single of his own to left field before Esch’s RBI hit made it 4-3.
The Jackets return to action at 4 p.m. Friday when they play host to the Xavier Musketeers for a three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium.