GEORGIA TECH 6, LIPSCOMB 3
ATHENS, Ga. – Brad Feltes’ two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning helped Georgia Tech beat Lipscomb, 6-3, advancing the Yellow Jackets into the championship round of the Athens NCAA Baseball Regional at Georgia’s Foley Field.
Georgia Tech (41-19) will play either Lipscomb or regional host Georgia (those two teams play Sunday at 2 p.m.) Sunday at 6 p.m. A win Sunday night would send the Yellow Jackets to a Super Regional next week. If Tech loses Sunday night, it would force a deciding game Monday at 7 p.m.
“I felt good when Feltes came up to the plate,” Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall said. “There’s probably not another guy I’d rather see up there than him. He’s been a clutch hitter all season.”
Feltes’ clutch hit in the eighth inning came off of Lipscomb reliever Kyle Tognazzini and broke a 3-3 tie. Between a three-run second inning and Tech’s two runs in the eighth, the Yellow Jackets were frustrated by Bison starter Brandon McClurg (6-6), who retired 16 of 17 batters during the stretch.
“McClurg really did a good job of mixing his pitches,” Hall said. “He really doesn’t throw anything straight. Everything moves and he can throw any of his pitches when he wanted to.”
The Yellow Jackets used strong pitching performances from starter Deck McGuire and relievers Taylor Wood and Brad Rulon, who combined to strike out eight and allow just seven Lipscomb base hits. Wood (3-0) earned the win in relief and Rulon picked up his seventh save, his second save in as many nights.
“I felt like our bullpen got some big outs,” Hall said. “Taylor Wood came in and got a big out. Before than, Deck (McGuire) had a big strikeout. I thought (Brad) Rulon did a great job of throwing strikes late in the game.”
GEORGIA 9, LOUISVILLE 8
ATHENS, Ga. – The number one seed Georgia Bulldogs used a seven-run seventh to overcome a three-run deficit and post a 9-8 victory over the Louisville Cardinals in an elimination game at the Athens Regional in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championships on Saturday.
“I thought that we did a great job today hanging in there until the ninth inning,” Georgia head coach David Perno said. “Gordon Beckham’s homerun was huge and really got us going.”
Georgia (36-22-1) advances in the Athens Regional and will face the loser of game four between second seed Georgia Tech and fourth seed Lipscomb on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. The winner of the game between Georgia and the opponent yet to be determined will play for the right to advance to the championship round of the regional against the winner of game four. With the loss on Saturday, Louisville concludes its season with a record of 41-21.
Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision in the third game of the Athens Regional as Georgia’s Trevor Holder went four innings allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits, while Louisville’s Bob Revesz tossed 4.2 innings allowing two runs on six hits. Georgia sophomore Dean Weaver (5-1) notched the win after allowing just one run on two hits in relief of Holder, and Louisville’s B.J. Rosenberg (5-5) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits in 1.1 innings.
Louisville carried a 5-2 lead into the seventh inning, but after a pair of singles put two runners on Georgia’s Gordon Beckham (2-for-4, run, 3 RBI) connected for a three-run home run that tied the game at 5-5. The Bulldogs seventh inning rally continued as they went on to score a total seven runs on eight hits and one Cardinal error to take a 9-5 lead.
Several Bulldogs contributed to producing Georgia’s nine runs, which came on 18 hits led by seniors, and respective one and two spot hitters, Ryan Peisel and Matt Olson. Peisel went 4-for-6 with two runs and an RBI, while Olson went 4-for-5 with a run. Georgia’s final fun of the seventh-inning, which proved to be the game-winning run, came on a RBI single from Peisel.
Louisville’s eight runs came on nine hits including three runs that came via two home runs in the bottom of the ninth that made it a one-run game. Freshman Stewart Ijames paced the Cardinals’ offensive by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI including a two-run home run in the ninth. Ijames’ ninth-inning home run was followed by a solo shot from senior Derrick Alfonso that gave the game its final margin.
Georgia, playing as the visiting team, took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Peisel, Olson and Beckham, the first three Bulldogs to come to the plate, all singled to load the bases. Sophomore Rich Poythress (2-for-4) pushed across the run with a sacrifice fly to center, but Louisville then turned a double play to end the inning.
In the second, Louisville also loaded the bases with no outs on three singles from Ijames and sophomores Jeff Arnold and Andrew Clark. In a similar manner, the Cardinals only came away with one run when Ijames scored on a double play turned by the Bulldogs. A groundout then ended the inning leaving the game tied 1-1.
The Cardinals took a 3-1 lead in the third inning. Junior John Dao (2-for-5) singled, stole second and scored on a single through the left side of the infield from freshman Josh Richmond. Ijames capped the scoring in the inning when he doubled to right driving in another run.
Georgia pulled to within one in the top of the fourth at 3-2. Junior Bryce Massanari drew a one out walk, moved around to third on a single to center from sophomore Matt Cerione (2-for-5) and scored on a groundout from sophomore Joey Lewis. In the bottom of the fourth, Louisville got that run back to go up 4-2. Freshman Phil Wunderlich (1-for-4, 2 runs) reached on a fielding error by Georgia’s Beckham at shortstop, was sacrificed to second on a bunt from freshman Drew Haynes and scored on a single to left from Dao.
In the sixth, Louisville’s advantage was stretched to 5-2 on a solo home run to left from Wunderlich.
That lead was then erased as Georgia produced its seven-run seventh. After Peisel and Olson singled to start the inning, Beckham provided his three-run, opposite field home run to tie it at 5-5. Poythress followed Beckham’s home run with a double, and two batters later, freshman Cerione recorded a single on a comeback shot that went off of Louisville relief pitcher B.J. Rosenberg. On the play, Rosenberg found the ball after it deflected off of him, but he committed a throwing error after picking it up allowing Poythress to score. Redshirt freshman Robbie O’Brien followed by driving in a run on his first career triple, and freshman Lyle Allen added an RBI single to right in the next at-bat. After Allen stole second and a groundout advance him to third, Peisel record an RBI on an infield single to third.
In the ninth, Louisville added three runs to give the game its final one-run margin. With senior Justin McClanahan aboard after doubling, Ijames provided a two-run home run to right center. Senior Derrick Alfonso followed with a home run of his own that made it a 9-8 contest, but Georgia senior relief pitcher Joshua Fields, who entered to start the inning, got Clark to groundout to end the game.
Game 3:
Georgia Recap
Louisville Recap
Box Score
Game 4:
Georgia Tech Recap
Lipscomb Recap
Box Score
