Jackets suffer extra-innings loss in series opener vs. Xavier

Georgia Tech head coach James Ramsey has warned in the past several days multiple times about people taking Xavier lightly this weekend during the three-game non-conference series in Atlanta, and on Friday night the Musketeers showed exactly why.

Xavier proved to be as pesky a team as Ramsey previously described, scoring three early runs to take a lead, then erasing a ninth-inning deficit before rallying for four runs in extras to send the host Jackets to an 8-4 loss to open the three-game set Friday evening at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium.

After falling behind 3-0 an inning and a half into the game, Georgia Tech (37-8) scored two in the second and one each in the fourth and fifth to take a 4-3 lead. But the Jackets’ bats went silent from there, missing multiple opportunities to add on runs to allow Xavier (22-25) the chance to score the tying run in the top of the ninth on an RBI-groundout by Donavan Canterberry and sent the game extra innings.

In the 10th, the Musketeers’ Carter Christenson came through with the decisive blow in the game sneaking a three-run homer inside the left field foul pole to put his team up 7-4. Canterberry then added another insurance run with an RBI single a few batters later, and Georgia Tech was unable to answer in the bottom half to send the home fans away unhappy with the series-opening loss.

“First off, hats off to Xavier. I think they’re everything we thought they were when we talked about it leaving the field at Kennesaw (Tuesday),” said Georgia Tech head coach James Ramsey. “They’re a great team. Billy (O’Conner) does a great job with those guys. They recruit well. They work hard. They’re tough. They played one of the toughest schedules in the country. They played in a lot of tough atmospheres. So I think we knew we were getting ourselves into. Our players knew. We talked about it a bunch. There’s nothing to take for granted. That Xavier team’s a really good team and saw that tonight the way they were able to answer in the ninth and the 10th.

“Ultimately we didn’t get it done,” added Ramsey. “I have full confidence in our group that you’ll see a lot better group show up tomorrow just from every facet of the game. Baseball is a game where there’s absolutely zero excuses for the way that we played today, and we talked about in there (in the clubhouse). You get a couple times a year of where it’s just not going to be your day, and this group has not had many of those up and down against good opponents. We’ve had a tough schedule. We haven’t really had that that type of disappointing efforts just from an execution side. But will be better tomorrow.”

Caden Gaudette (4-1) took the loss for Georgia Tech on the mound after coming on in the ninth and pitching the final two frames, allowing four runs on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Dylan Loy was solid in relief as he pitched three innings and gave up one run on one hit with five strikeouts and one walk as he ran into some trouble in the ninth with Gaudette coming on and inheriting the eventual tying run.

Tate McKee got the start and pitched five innings in a no decision, rebounding from a tough first two innings to pitch well over his final three on the mound. He allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Xavier used just two pitchers in the game with Michael Murphy (3-0) earning the win thanks to his 6 1/3 innings of work out of the bullpen. He allowed two runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and got out of multiple jams to limit the damage against Tech’s high-powered offense. He followed starter Garrett Helsel who went 3 2/3 innings and gave up two runs on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Along with Christenson’s big homer in the 10th, Xavier had two solo shots in the game coming from Clay Burdette and Tanner Thomas. Thomas also had a double and scored two runs.

Canterberry added his hit and two RBIs, and Jonathan Fitz also had a pair of hits for the Musketeers and scored two runs. JD Crisp came on as a pinch-runner late and scored the tying run in the ninth and then had a hit in the 10th before scoring on the three-run homer.

Ryan Zuckerman led the Jackets’ lineup with two homers and three RBIs in the game while Drew Burress had a hit and drove in the other run.

Parker Brosius added three hits, including a double, and Carson Kerce hit his 24th double of the season and scored a run. Jarren Advincula and Vahn Lackey had two hits apiece with Advincula having a double among his knocks, and Will Baker chipped in with a hit and a run scored.

Georgia Tech finished the game with eight runners left on base and 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

“A lot of first pitch outs, a lot of weak contact to the pull side and weak contact in the air to the back side,” Ramsey said of his team’s efforts at the plate on Friday. “I think that ultimately is my responsibility to get the offense ready to go and wasn’t able to do that. I think you look at getting chances, think of things you can do to kind of keep that momentum going when you don’t have it and try to start something and we’ll obviously be firing on all cylinders tomorrow.”

Scoring recap…

Xavier jumped on top in the first inning when Clay Burdette launched a solo homer to center followed by Jonathan Fitz coming home to score on an error a few batters later to make it 2-0.

The Musketeers added another run in the top of the second on another solo shot, this one coming from Tanner Thomas, as the lead grew to 3-0.

Georgia Tech responded in the bottom half of the second with a long ball of its own as Ryan Zuckerman connected for a two-run homer to left to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Zuckerman tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth on his second homer of the night, a solo shot, that traveled 440 feet over the scoreboard in left center.

Georgia Tech gained its first lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth as Drew Burress drove home Carson Kerce with an RBI single.

Xavier tied the game in the ninth on an RBI fielder’s choice by Donavan Canterberry to make it 4-4 and send it to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, Christenson delivered a three-run homer down the line in left and Canterberry followed a few batters later with an RBI single to make it 8-4.

Up next…

Georgia Tech and Xavier will continue their series on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. before wrapping up the three-game set on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Ramsey said he’s confident his team will respond the right way after Friday’s tough loss.

“I do. I trust the leadership of the team,” said Ramsey. “I think that’s the one thing where you never want to give guys an out, but we haven’t done this much and I know if and when this team has adversity thrown their way down the stretch, they’ll absolutely be ready to respond.”