June 1, 2013
| Georgia Tech Press Conference | ESTU Press Conference
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Second-seeded Georgia Tech was able to overcome the rain and East Tennessee State thanks to strong pitching and balanced hitting. The Yellow Jackets kept their season alive with a 5-1 victory over the Buccaneers on Saturday at Vanderbilt’s Hawkins Field.
Georgia Tech (35-26) jumped out to an early lead, plating a run in each of the first two innings. The first saw Zane Evans plate Sam Dove on a sacrifice fly, while in the second the Yellow Jackets took advantage of Mott Hyde reaching on a fielding error by ETSU third baseman Alex Reynolds and came around on a double by Kyle Wren.
With that early lead, Georgia Tech pitcher Buck Farmer rolled. The right-hander allowed just two hits in six innings, striking out eight on 58 pitches. Farmer was forced to leave the game when rain and lightning rolled into Nashville in the middle of the seventh, forcing a one hour, 48 minute delay.
Georgia Tech led, 5-0, at the time of the delay after adding a single run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Brandon Thomas doubled in Evans in the fifth, while Hyde had an RBI single in the seventh, which was followed by a sacrifice fly from Daniel Spingola.
Jonathan Roberts came on in relief of Farmer and was nearly as good, giving up one unearned run and one hit in three innings of relief, while striking out three. The duo combined to hold the Buccaneers to just three hits in the contest.
Farmer picked up the victory, improving to 9-4 on the season. Roberts recorded his second save of the season. Kerry Doane took the loss for Illinois, falling to 13-2. Doane went until the delay, as well, throwing seven innings while giving up 10 hits and five runs, four earned.
Georgia Tech advances to tomorrow’s elimination game at the Nashville Regional, where they will face the loser of Saturday night’s Vanderbilt/Illinois contest. ETSU’s season comes to a close at 36-24.
