Jackets' pitching, balanced bats lead way to series win at Pitt
After a pair of games in which Georgia Tech’s pitchers struggled to get outs to open the series, starter Jackson Blakely and a trio of relievers combined to do solid work on the mound Sunday afternoon to lead the way to a 12-4 series-clinching win at Pitt.
Blakely (2-1) went four shutout innings in the rubber game for Georgia Tech (19-5, 6-3 ACC) allowing just two hits, striking out five and walking two to earn the win.
Brett Barfield and Justin Shadek also had scoreless outings out of the bullpen with Barfield tossing 1 1/3 innings and allowing no hits while striking out one and walking two and Shadek closing out the final 2/3 of the seventh as he didn’t allow a hit and struck out two.
Jake Lankie was the only Tech pitcher to allow a run as he gave up four on four hits with two strikeouts in one inning of work.
The Jackets scored two in the second to take a lead before adding two more in the fourth. They were able to blow the game open with a six-run sixth before scoring their final two runs in the seventh.
Pitt (15-6, 3-3 ACC) rallied for four in the bottom of the seventh (the final inning of Sunday’s shortened series finale) but couldn’t get any closer.
Tech had 14 total hits scattered among nine different batters with Carson Kerce and Jarren Advincula leading the way with three each. Kerce had a double among his knocks to go with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Advincula also doubled and drove in a run.
Alex Hernandez added a pair of hits, and Kent Schmidt and Vahn Lackey each doubled and drove in a run with Schmidt walking twice and scoring three runs. Ryan Zuckerman doubled, walked twice and scored three runs, and Will Baker, Nathanael Coupet and Caleb Daniel each contributed a hit and an RBI.
Up Next
Georgia Tech will have a few days off with no midweek game before opening a three-game ACC home series on Friday at 7 p.m. vs. NC State. Game 2 will be Saturday night at 7 p.m., and the series finale will be Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
