After dismantling the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils 20-7 Friday, the tables were turned as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ Senior Day was spoiled by a 12-3 loss Saturday to end the regular season. Despite the loss, the Yellow Jackets (31-25, 14-16) won the series 2-1.
Starting pitcher Brant Hurter (5-4) gave up five runs on five hits through two innings pitched, and the Yellow Jackets were unable to stop the bleeding throughout the game.
The significant amount of damage came in the top of the second inning when Griffin Conine blasted a three-run homer to center field that gave the Blue Devils an early 5-0 lead. Conine’s home run led to skipper Danny Hall pulling the freshman pitcher and inserting junior pitcher Micah Carpenter. Unfortunately, Carpenter struggled to find the strike zone and gave up his fair share of hits and runs. In fact, Conine went yard again in the top of the fourth inning to push the lead to 8-2.
The Blue Devils felt no remorse for the Yellow Jacket faithful that were in attendance – and for Georgia Tech’s pitching unit for that matter – as they faced seven pitchers in total.
Nonetheless, the Blue Devils had much motivation heading into this game given how poorly they played the game before. Having said that, they displayed excellent hitting ability by finishing the game with 14 hits and ultimately proved why they finished the season ranked tenth in the nation.
As for the Yellow Jackets, there’s much to be optimistic about heading into post-season play. They proved capable of beating dominant teams when they are sound fundamentally as a unit. Their performance against Duke Friday should not be taken lightly. One knows that once the postseason begins, it is a new season for every team. The same applies to this Yellow Jackets club. They have decent pitching and can score runs at a high rate when they are clicking. However, their 14-16 ACC record will not place them in prime position for a favorable matchup. Nevertheless, with a head coach such as Hall, who has done nothing but win during his 24-year tenure at Tech, the Yellow Jackets will undoubtedly have a legitimate opportunity to advance relatively far in their respective ACC Championship.
The ACC Championship will begin May 22 in Durham, N.C.
