Georgia Tech Grinds Out a One-run Win Over Wake Forest in Series Opener

*Photo courtesy of Georgia Tech, @GTBaseball on X*

Georgia Tech opened another home ACC series on Friday night, welcoming in the 28-14 Wake Forest Demon Deacons. It’s a big series for both teams in their own regards as a series win can almost guarantee a hosting bid for the Jackets in the NCAA tournament, while a series win for Wake Forest keeps them above .500 in the ACC, something that will help their case as a two-seed come tournament time.

Tate McKee’s night got off to a rough start for the Jackets, but he managed to grind through five innings. With one out and one on in the top of the first, McKee induced a potential inning-ending double play ball that was fumbled at shortstop by Carson Kerce, extending the inning. Wake Forest’s Kade Lewis followed that up with a three-run home run, his ninth of the season. They added another on McKee in the second, this one a solo shot off the bat of second baseman Blake Schaaf, just his third of the season. That was all they would get off McKee as he finished with three earned runs on six hits, two walks, and a season-high eight strikeouts.

Wake Forest’s Chris Levonas also had a hard time settling in early, and ended up falling victim to one of Georgia Tech’s trademark big innings that effectively ended his night. After Wake Forest jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, Levonas opened the bottom half by walking the bases loaded via a walk, single, and a hit by pitch. He managed to escaped with only one run allowed before pitching around trouble again in the second and fourth. It was in the bottom of the fifth inning where the Jackets were trailing by a score of 4-1 when they finally broke through against Levonas. It started with a leadoff single from Drew Burress and then a two-run home run off the bat of Jarren Advincula to bring Georgia Tech within one. It was Advincula’s seventh of the season, a new single-season career-high. Vahn Lackey followed with a single and then Kent Schmidt walked, ending Levonas’s night. Both Lackey and Schmidt came around to score, closing Levonas’s line with five earned runs on six hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts in four innings of work.

Trailing the Jackets 5-4, freshman right-hander Evan Jones replaced Levonas, throwing three innings through the seventh, allowing an insurance run in the sixth via a Vahn Lackey RBI-single. Senior left-hander Zach Johnston threw the eighth inning, delivering a perfect frame while striking out two.

After taking the lead in the fifth, Georgia Tech’s bullpen that has been excellent as of late, took over for Tate McKee in the sixth. Brett Barfield covered the sixth inning, throwing a scoreless frame while allowing just a leadoff walk. It was Barfield’s 11th consecutive scoreless outing as he extended his scoreless inning streak to 10.1. In 15 total innings on the season, he has now allowed just two earned runs, good for a 1.20 ERA.

Mason Patel took over in the seventh, looking to extend a scoreless inning streak of his own, but Wake Forest managed to push across a run on a Luke Costello single, bringing the score within one. Costello was actually cut down at second base by Drew Burress as Burress did an excellent job getting to the ball in the gap and firing a strike to second base. If not for the play by Burress, among a few others he made in center field in this one, this recap might be a different story. Patel got through the eighth allowing just one hit before closing out the ninth with the tying run standing on third base. While he allowed his first earned run since February 21st, he tied his save total from last year of five, all of which have been multi-inning saves.

Between Barfield and Patel, the bullpen was once again the difference maker in this one, as it has been in a lot of close games as of late. Six runs was just enough from the offense as Drew Burress, Vahn Lackey, and Will Baker all came through with multi-hit games, with both of Baker’s hits coming as doubles.

With the win, the Jackets advanced to 34-7 overall and 17-5 in the ACC, extending their lead in the conference to two games as North Carolina dropped their series opener to Duke. Wake Forest falls to 28-15 overall and 11-11 in the ACC. First pitch on Saturday will be at noon ET. Georgia Tech’s starting pitcher is still to be announced. Wake Forest will send sophomore right-hander Troy Dressler to the mound.

Georgia Tech Baseball Focus