ATLANTA, Ga. – The Presbyterian College baseball team dropped both games of a Saturday doubleheader at Georgia Tech on Saturday, falling 5-1 in the first game before the Yellow Jackets rallied late in an 11-9 second game victory.
PC sees its record even at 23-23 while Georgia Tech improves to 28-17. The teams meet for the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Cam McRae (Darlington, S.C.) led PC by going 4-for-7 on the day with one of the team's three home runs. Tyler Weyenberg (Marietta, Ga.) and Ryan Hedrick (High Point, N.C.) each posted three hits as well.
Georgia Tech 5, PC 1 (Game One)
Georgia Tech erased an early PC lead with a four-run third inning to take a 5-1 victory in the day's opening game.
The Blue Hose scratched out nine hits to the Yellow Jackets' 10 but could not convert those into runs, as each team left seven on base
Ryan Hedrick and Cam McRae led PC with two hits each and seven different Blue Hose hit safely. Brian Kehner (Marietta, Ga.) took the loss to move to 1-2 on the year despite pitching a career-high seven innings. The sophomore allowed five runs and struck out five, issuing only one walk. Aaron Lesiak (Greenville, S.C.) threw one scoreless inning of relief.
PC scored first to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. McRae hit a leadoff single for Hedrick to knock a two-out double soon after, allowing McRae to score on a throwing error as PC moved in front for the first time.
Georgia Tech answered in the third inning, using a three-run Thomas Smith homer to spur a four-run inning and take a 4-1 lead.
The Yellow Jackets tacked on another run in the fourth on a fielder's choice for a 5-1 lead, the eventual final score.
Jonathan King earned the win to improve to 3-3.
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Presbyterian College 010 000 000 - 1 9 1 (23-22)
Georgia Tech........ 004 100 00X - 5 10 2 (27-17)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - KEHNER, Brian; LESIAK, Aaron(8) and McRAE, Cam; KOSKI, Rob.
Georgia Tech - Jonathan King; Matt Phillips(9) and Arden Pabst.
Win-Jonathan King(3-3) Loss-KEHNER, Brian(1-2) T-2:11 A-0
HR GT - Thomas Smith (3).
Weather: Sunny, 80*, no wind
Georgia Tech 11, PC 9 (Game Two)
After dropping the first game of Saturday's twinbill, the Blue Hose roared back to start the second game. The Yellow Jackets would chip away at PC's big lead, however, and rally late for an 11-9 victory.
PC hit three home runs over the first two innings for an 8-1 lead. McRae started the offensive explosion in the first inning, hitting his team-leading sixth home run to score a pair for an early 2-0 edge.
A pitching change didn't stop the Blue Hose offense in the second inning as the visitors rolled for six runs in the frame. AJ Priaulx (Warner Robins, Ga.) drew a leadoff walk for Peter Johnson (Seattle, Wash.), who hit his first home run as a Blue Hose for a 4-0 PC lead. Brandon Martin (Gray Court, S.C.) then went yard on the very next pitch, hitting his first dinger of the season.
PC didn't slow down, loading the bases with one out. McRae reached on catcher's interference, allowing Billy Motroni (Goose Creek, S.C.) to score for a 6-0 PC lead. Jacob Midkiff (Rock Hill, S.C.) widened the gap shortly after, hitting a two-run double to cap the rally at an 8-0 score.
Georgia Tech's AJ Murray hit a leadoff home run in the second to put the Yellow Jackets on the board, 8-1.
A two-run triple and a sac fly cut PC's lead in half before an RBI single pulled Georgia Tech within three in the sixth inning.
PC grabbed a run back in the eighth. Motroni drew a leadoff walk and a hit-by-pitch brought another runner aboard for Hedrick, who singled to load the bases for Jay Lizanich (Greer, S.C.). The senior hit into a double play but a run scored, giving PC a 9-5 lead.
Unfortunately for the Blue Hose, Georgia Tech turned in a six-run eighth inning—including a two-run single from Blake Jackson and an error—to quickly take its first and final lead of the game.
Hayden Deal (Newton, N.C.) took the loss to move to 2-3. David Sauer (Irmo, S.C.) threw one inning of scoreless relief in the sixth. Zac Ryan earned the win for Georgia Tech, improving to 8-1.
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Presbyterian College 260 000 010 - 9 10 1 (23-23)
Georgia Tech........ 010 031 06X - 11 14 1 (28-17)
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Pitchers: Presbyterian College - DEES, Beau; SAUER, David(6); WORTKOETTER, Ethan(7);
DEAL, Hayden(8); THOMPSON, Russell(8) and McRAE, Cam. Georgia Tech - Cole Pitts; Ben Parr(2);
Daniel Gooden(6); Zac Ryan(8) and A.J. Murray.
Win-Zac Ryan(8-1) Loss-DEAL, Hayden(2-3) T-3:01 A-1443
HR PC - McRAE, Cam (6); JOHNSON, Peter (1); MARTIN, Brandon (1).
HR GT - A.J. Murray (11).
Weather: Sunny, 80*, no wind
Pitts, C faced 4 batters in the 2nd.
DEES, B. faced 2 batters in the 6th.
SAUER, D. faced 1 batter in the 7th.
Gooden, D faced 2 batters in the 8th.
WORTKOETTER faced 1 batter in the 8th.
