Georgia Tech Wins Fifth Straight by Beating Mercer on the Road 9-5

Yellow Jackets begins ACC play this weekend vs NC State

Georgia Tech is fresh off of a four-game sweep vs Youngstown State and was on the road in Macon tonight to face in-state opponent Mercer. This was the last game for Georgia Tech before they started ACC play against NC State this weekend. 

Georgia Tech did that tonight and played a pretty solid game all the way through. The offense was consistent, Carson Ballard pitched seven shutout innings, but the bullpen allowed five runs in the final two innings. There are questions about the Yellow Jackets bullpen and they did little to ease those tonight. 

Let's recap the night in Macon. 

Ballard got the start today for the Yellow Jackets and here is the lineup they used:

1. LF Trey Yunger

2. CF Drew Burress

3. C Matthew Ellis

4. 2B Mike Becchetti

5. SS Payton Green

6. 1B Cam Jones

7. RF Parker Brosius

8. DH Bobby Zmarzlak

9. 3B Carson Kerce

They continued to use the same lineup that they used for the majority of the series vs Youngstown State. They had great success with moving Brosius to the No. 7 spot and moving Burress to the No. 2 spot instead of leadoff. 

Georgia Tech was able to get two runners on due to walks, but they were unable to get a hit and the game went to the bottom of the first. 

Ballard went to work and he did give up a single but got through the inning without giving up a run. The game was tied 0-0 going to the second. 

Georgia Tech looked like they were going to go scoreless in the top of the second, but Zmarzlak hit a two-out solo home run to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead. 

BOBBY Z!!! SOLO 💣!#WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/3ocXqhnp68

— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 12, 2024

Ballard had another good inning in the second. He allowed a leadoff single but got a double play then another ground out to get the game to the third. 

The Yellow Jackets got a single from Burress and a walk to give them two runners on, but they were unable to do anything with the guys on base. It was a missed opportunity to add runs and the Ballard came back for the bottom of the third. 

It was a 1-2-3- inning for Ballard. He was off to a great start for the Yellow Jackets as the game went to the 4th. 

.@CarsonBallard02 is going to work! Line so far:

3️⃣IP 2️⃣H 0️⃣R, 25 pitches 💪 pic.twitter.com/UX63zfuVjn

— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 12, 2024

The 4th inning got started with a leadoff single from Cam Jones. Jones then got third on a failed pickoff attempt and Brosius continued his strong play by driving him in to make it 2-0. That was it for Georgia Tech in the inning, but they grew their lead. 

Ballard did not allow a hit in the fourth and continued his great performance. 

Burress struck out to start the 5th inning, but Ellis walked and then got to second on a failed balk attempt. A double by Green drove him home and Georgia Tech led 3-0. 

Neither team was able to get anything going in the 6th inning. Ballard put together two more strikeouts as his night continued into the 7th. 

Georgia Tech went 1-2-3 in the top of the 7 and Ballard came back out for another inning. He allowed one hit but got the game to the 8th quickly. 

The Georgia Tech offense got going again in the 8th. 

Green and Jones walked to start the 8th inning and Mercer made a pitching change. A wild pitch advanced both runners and then Brosius hit a 2-RBI double to make it 5-0. If Brosius continues to play like this, Georgia Tech's lineup is going to be that more dangerous. 

STAY HOT PARKER!! He laces a double to the wall to score two!@BrosiusParker | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/SkkPpiSYkI

— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) March 12, 2024

Zmarzlak then hit a sac fly to make it 6-0. Kerce walked after that and the Bears made another pitching change. Yunger then reached on a fielder's choice that scored Kerce and made it 7-0. The next run came due to a sac fly from Burress and it was 8-0. That was the last run of the inning for Georgia Tech. 

The Yellow Jackets ran into their first bit of trouble in the bottom of the 8th. 

Riley Stanford came in for Ballard. Ballard had a terrific night, pitching seven innings, allowing four hits, two strikeouts, and one walk. 

After a leadoff walk, Stanford allowed a two-run home run to make it 8-2. While Georgia Tech still had a strong lead, they needed to show better play from the bullpen. Stanford struck out the next two batters but gave up a single and then hit a batter. His night was over after that and Danny Hall brought in Caden Gaudette to try and finish the inning. He did and the game was 8-2 going to the 9th. 

After two quick outs, Jones doubled and stole third, and then Brosius was hit to put two runners on base. Zmarzlak hit an RBI single to make it 9-2 and that was the lead that the Yellow Jackets had going into the final half inning. 

Gaudette came back out for the 9th to finish the game. The inning did not start well for him though. A leadoff double and then an RBI single made it 9-3 and then an RBI double made it 9-4. Georgia Tech had played well up to this point, but it was not comforting to see them struggle late in the game with the bullpen. 

Gaudette was then replaced with Cam Jones on the mound. He gave up a single to put runners on the corners then he finally got an out by strikeout the next batter out. He gave up one more run to make it 9-5, but then he finished the game by getting the last two outs and getting Georgia Tech its fifth straight win. 

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