Bullpen and Jackson Finley Power Georgia Tech Past Kennesaw State 5-4

Georgia Tech wins in-state matchup to reach 9-0 for the season

Jackson Caudell | Mar 1, 2023

After putting up 23 runs in a matchup with Long Island yesterday, Georgia Tech Baseball squared off with an in-state opponent for another midweek matchup.

Georgia Tech took on the Kennesaw State Owls today and both teams were off to nice starts this season and have a common opponent. Tech was 8-0 entering today and Kennesaw State was 5-1 and both teams just notched wins over Long Island. These two teams met twice last year, with GT winning the first matchup 13-2 and then losing the second game to the Owls 14-12.

Dalton Smith was on the mound for the Yellow Jackets today and here is the starting lineup that Georgia Tech used.

1. CF-Jake DeLeo

2. IF- Angelo Dispigna

3. RF- Stephen Reid

4. C- Jack Rubenstein

5. DH- Jackson Finley

6. 2B- Nicholas Romano

7. 1B- John Geisler

8. 3B- Nico Senese

9. SS- Demetri Diamant

After a messy first inning against Long Island yesterday, Georgia Tech was hoping for a smooth start to today's game.

That was not the case again.

Smith gave up a leadoff walk and then a failed pickoff attempt advanced the runner to third. An RBI single gave KSU an early 1-0 lead and then an RBI double made it 2-0. The Owls held a two-run lead.

Georgia Tech got right to work with a leadoff double from DeLeo and then after an out, Reid reached on an error and DeLeo scored to make it 2-1.

After back-to-back walks, the bases were loaded again and Giesler was then walked to tie the game 2-2.

KSU got one runner on in the second, but Georgia Tech was able to make quick work of the Owls in the top of the 2nd. Unfortunately, GT suffered the same fate and it was a quick 1-2-3 inning for them.

After back-to-back strikeouts to start the 3rd, Smith gave up a single, leading to a two-run home run from KSU to take a 4-2 lead. The offense for the Yellow Jackets was unable to do anything at the bottom of the inning.

Georgia Tech Baseball — Georgia Tech is now 9-0 after beating Kennesaw State / Georgia Tech Athletics

After just three innings, Smith was taken out and Aeden Finateri was put on the mound. Finateri proceeded to get two outs quickly, but then gave up two singles and KSU had a chance to extend its lead. Finateri struck out the last batter to send it to the bottom of the inning, but it was another quick inning for Georgia Tech and the game remained at 4-2 heading to the 5th.

At the top of the fifth, Finateri was pulled and Ben King came in to replace him and he made easy 1-2-3 work of the Owls.

It looked like more of the same for the Georgia Tech offense at the bottom of the fifth after DeLeo and Dispigna struck out, but that is when the Yellow Jackets finally were able to break through. Reid singled and then Rubenstein doubled to get runners on second and third with two outs. Then, Finley continued his brilliant stretch by blasting a three-run homer to give the Yellow Jackets a 5-4 lead.

JACKSON FINLEY UNHUMAN!! Fourth home run in two days, fifth in three games! pic.twitter.com/XSgLUXnvLB
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 1, 2023

After Romano struck out to end the 5th, King remained in to face the Owls and he got through an easy 1-2-3 inning.

Georgia Tech was unable to do anything as well at the bottom of the 6th and we went to the 7th with GT still leading 5-4.

King was replaced by Mannelly, who did a great job (as did the entire bullpen). Mannelly made quick work of KSU in the 7th and did so again in the 8th after Georgia Tech did not add anything at the bottom of the 7th. Giesler doubled for the Yellow Jackets at the bottom of the 8th, but no insurance runs were scored and it was a one-run game heading to the top of the 9th.

Mannelly gets the K and puts up another clean frame!@josephbmannelly | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/H3FocCC7jp
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 1, 2023

Terry Busse came in to close the game and if you blinked, the game was over. Busse struck out all three batters and the Yellow Jackets secured the win over Kennesaw State to reach 9-0 ahead of their weekend series against Georgia.

It was a fantastic performance from the bullpen, which allowed two hits after the fourth inning. Finley's go-ahead home run was the biggest play of the game and he continues to have a fantastic start to the season. The Yellow Jackets have not played the toughest schedule in the country, but there is a lot to like about this team so far. Now, they have a weekend series against UGA on deck.

Game One against Georgia will be in Athens on Friday. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.

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