Jackets rally for series-opening win over Wake Forest

Big offensive nights, clutch pitching outings, come-from-behind wins…whatever the form or fashion it comes in, Georgia Tech just finds ways to win.

The Jackets fell behind 4-1 early on Friday in the opener of a three-game series vs. Wake Forest and despite having little success against the Demon Deacons’ ace Chris Levonas the first couple times through the lineup, turned the game around with a four-run fifth to take the lead and never give it up in a 6-5 victory at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium.

Georgia Tech (34-7, 17-5 in ACC) saw the visitors from Winston-Salem, N.C. go up 3-0 in the top of the first on a three-run homer by Kade Lewis and then 4-1 after two innings but showed grit once again with starter Tate McKee keeping Wake Forest right there for the next few innings before the Jackets were able to put a four-spot on the board in the fifth to take a 5-4 lead.

Tech’s bullpen duo of Brett Barfield and Mason Patel shut it down from there, allowing one run combined over four innings while the Jackets’ bats added another run in the sixth for the recipe for another victorious evening in front of a fourth-straight sold-out crowd.

“Wasn’t pleased with obviously how the first inning went. Nobody was and told them in there the sign of a great team is we never wavered,” said Georgia Tech head coach James Ramsey after the win. “Make a couple miscues, unnecessary throws and or plays and then played clean defense the rest of the game. I mean the game to end on (Carson) Kerce) making a play and (Kent) Schmidt picking him up. That’s what this thing’s all about. And so as we continue to stack wins and we know it’s hard to win in this league, you look up and down scores. I know that I haven’t looked fully yet (at the scores), but I just know how this league is. And if you can hold on on a Friday night (that’s really big.)

And then Drew Burris, man, he goes, makes a play to his right, you know, to our left in a four run game that would have made it seven to one. Makes a play to the other side, to right center, throwing a guy out at second off the wall. And then he makes a really tough play coming in. It just kind of, you know, he just finds a way to help us any way he can. But I think up and down, man, really proud of the way the guys finish. And once again, it’s a good way for his team. We’ve got to be ready to go with a short turnaround.

McKee (7-1) rebounded from a tough first two innings in his start to finish strong and earn the win as he gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks over five innings.

Barfield came on to pitch a scoreless, hitless inning of relief in the sixth as he struck out one and walked one. Patel then went the final three to earn his fifth save of the season, allowing one run on three hits with one strikeout.

“I think Tate McKee deserves a big shout out. We talk about he manages a game. That was a great opportunity,” said Ramsey. “They hit a three-run homer, hit another homer. We’re down 4-1. On top of that, he outlasted their starter who’s a really quality arm and has a big future ahead of them. Season-high hits, I think maybe it didn’t feel like it. But our guys competed. I thought they just found a way on walks, hit by pitches. And we talk about just as many opportunities we can get to score. I thought Barfield and Patel both weren’t their sharpest, but found a way, kind of gutted it out for us.”

Drew Burress also made several impressive defensive plays in center field, including a running catch in the left-center gap to keep the deficit at 4-1 instead of possibly jumping to 7-1 and two more plays in the sixth with a sliding catch and a throw to gun a runner out at second base.

“Drew Burres, man, he goes and makes a play to his right in a four-run game that would have made it 7-1. Makes a play to the other side, to right center, throwing a guy out at second off the wall. And then he makes a really tough play coming in,” said Ramsey. “He just finds a way to help us any way he can. GM of the big-league team, buddy of mine for years, was here. And we’re talking about him. Just he finds a way in the action is part of his game. And I’m not a GM. It’s above my pay grade, I guess, for that side of things. But I’d stick him in center field. He makes things happen. I really think if you go by some of the metrics, too, like the last six weeks, the ball has not fallen in center field. It’s like big play after big play. A couple plays at Carolina helped us win a game. He’s just really hitting his stride. And that’s the most fun thing is he had this stretch where everything wasn’t going right. And he was the calmest out of anybody and just said, ‘I know how good a player I am and I can impact my team anyway. It doesn’t have to be with just the bat.'”

Along with his defensive work in center, Burress finished with two hits at the plate to go with two runs scored while Jarren Advincula had a two-run homer and Will Baker added two doubles and an RBI. Vahn Lackey also had a pair of hits and an RBI

Kent Schmidt drove in a run, Ryan Zuckerman had a hit and drew a walk and Carson Kerce drew a walk and scored a run.

Levonas (8-3) took the loss for Wake Forest as he pitched four innings and allowed five runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and three walks. The Demon Deacons used two other pitchers with Evan Jones going three innings and allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts and one walk and Zach Johnston pitching one inning and giving up no runs or hits while striking out two.

At the plate for Wake Forest, Lewis finished 2-for-4 with his three-run homer to lead the way while Blake Schaaf also had two hits, including a solo homer. Luke Costello added a hit and an RBI, and Dalton Wentz finished with two hits.

Scoring recap…

Wake Forest jumped on top in the first with three runs as the Deacons were aided by a couple Georgia Tech errors before Kade Lewis smoked a three-run homer over the right field wall to make it 3-0.

Jackets got one back in the bottom half the first as Kent Schmidt drove in a run on a sac fly to cut the deficit to 3-1. Wake’s Levonas was able to limit the damage, however, after Tech had the bases loaded with no outs in the frame.

The Demon Deacons’ bats stayed hot in the second with Blake Schaaf hitting a solo homer to push the lead to 4-1.

Jackets turned the momentum of the game around in the bottom of the fifth with four runs to take a 5-4 lead. Jarren Advincula launched a two-run homer to right, Vahn Lackey scored on a wild pitch and Will Baker drove an RBI-double off the left-field wall.

Georgia Tech added another run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Lackey to push the lead to 6-4.

Wake Forest got one back in the seventh to cut the deficit to 6-5 on an RBI single by Luke Costello, but Costello was gunned down at second on a throw by Drew Burress in center as he tried to stretch it to a double.

Up next…

The Jackets and Demon Deacons will get back at it on Saturday at noon for Game 2 with the game set to be broadcast on ACC Network.

“I think up and down, man, really proud of the way the guys finish,” said Ramsey. “And once again, it’s a good win for his team.”