Jackson Finley's Three Home Runs Leads Georgia Tech Past Long Island 23-11

Georgia Tech Baseball is now 8-0 this season

Jackson Caudell | Feb 28, 2023

It was time for another midweek matchup for Georgia Tech Baseball. This time, they were opposed by the Long Island Sharks, who come into the game 0-6.

Georgia Tech was coming off a series sweep of Tennessee Tech and was aiming for an 8-0 start to the season.

Luke Schmolke was the starting pitcher today and here was the lineup that Georgia Tech used for much of the game today.

1. CF-Jake DeLeo

2. IF-Angelo Dispigna

3. RF- Stephen Reid

4. DH- Jack Rubenstein

5. 1B- Jackson Finley

6. 3B- John Geisler

7. 2B- Nicholas Romano

8. C- Tyler Minnick

9. SS- Demitri Diamant

Schmolke had a rough outing against Georgia Southern last week and this week did not start off well at all for the Georgia Tech pitcher.

Long Island hit a leadoff home run to take a quick 1-0 lead, but that was just the start of the troubles for Schmolke. After a walk led to a runner getting to second, Long Island had an RBI double to take a 2-0 lead and then a two-run home run to clear the bases and give the Sharks a 4-0 lead. Schmolke made it out of the inning but in 0.2 IP, Schmolke allowed 3 hits, 4 runs, 4 earned runs, and walked 3 batters.

Georgia Tech's offense then went nuclear in the bottom of the 1st inning.

DeLeo had a leadoff walk to start the inning and then the red-hot Angelo Dispigna hit a two-run blast to cut the lead to 4-2.

GELLO SHOTS ALL AROUND!

4️⃣ home runs in 4️⃣ days! pic.twitter.com/2cHP5e1w4j
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 28, 2023

Reid proceeded to hit a single and then Rubenstein hit a two-run homer to tie the game 4-4.

JACK RUBENSTEIN OH MY ALL POWER TIE GAME!!@jruby14 | #WreckHavoc pic.twitter.com/5Vk8v28n24
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 28, 2023

After tying the game, Finley stepped up to the plate and hit a solo home run to take the lead. Three home runs in five at-bats was a great way to start the inning after a tough start for Schmolke.

BANG!!!

Jackson Finley hits our third home run in five minutes and we lead! pic.twitter.com/PbHmZRq39c
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 28, 2023

The Yellow Jackets did not stop there though.

After two quick pop-outs, Minnick singled to the right and then Diamant was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. An RBI single from DeLeo in his second at-bat of the inning gave Georgia Tech a 6-4 lead. Long Island made a pitching change, but it did not slow down the Tech offense.

A two-RBI single from Reid extended the lead to 8-4 and then Rubenstein walked to load the bases for Tech. Finley then proceeded to hit a grad slam, which was his second home run of the inning. Georgia Tech scored 12 runs in one inning to take a commanding lead.

Cody Carwile would come in to replace Schmolke and try to steady things for the Yellow Jackets' pitching. After two quick outs, Carwile would proceed to give up a walk and single before a three-run home run cut the lead to 12-7.

Going forward against better teams, Georgia Tech's pitching has to be better, especially during the midweek games. It has been subpar so far and that is something the team must navigate.

Romano got out to start the bottom of the second before Georgia Tech got a base runner courtesy of a Minnick walk. DeLeo would drive him in with an RBI double to make it 13-7, but that was it for the Yellow Jackets' offense.

Georgia Tech Baseball — Georgia Tech had no problem scoring runs tonight against Long Island / Georgia Tech Athletics

Carwile came back in the third and made quick work of Long Island, even with giving up a two-out triple.

Georgia Tech's offense kept smashing everything in their path in the bottom o the third. A Rubenstein single and Finley walk gave GT two runners on with no outs and then an RBI single from Romano extended the lead to 14-7. Minnick would walk to load the bases and then Diamant nailed a two-RBI single to make the lead 16-7. DeLeo grounded out, but scored a run to make it 17-7 and then Dispigna stayed hot with and RBI double to make it 18-7.

Reid would proceed to blast a two-run homer to give Georgia Tech its 20th run in just three innings.

TOO STRONG! @Stephennreid hits an inside pitch over the wall and Tech has seven runs in the third pic.twitter.com/fPGUacszej
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 28, 2023

With a 20-7 lead heading to the 4th, Jackson Vaughan came in to replace Carwile on the mound. Vaughan had a scoreless inning and the game went to the bottom of the 4th.

It was the Jackson Finley show again in the bottom of the fourth, with Finley hitting his 3rd home run of the game.

JACKSON FINLEY!!! THIRD HOME RUN OF THE GAME!!! pic.twitter.com/kOWulOfm0A
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) February 28, 2023

Finley's home run was the only home run of the inning and at that point, Jett Lovett, Tyler Hare, Carsten Sabathia, Brant Baughcum, and Nico Senese came into the game at the top of the 5th.

From that point on, Georgia Tech would add two more runs to make it 23-7 with the younger players in, and then Long Island added four more before the game ended after the top of the 7th.

Georgia Tech's offense finished with 23 runs on 17 hits, including six home runs. The pitching was shaky in the first couple of innings before settling in for the rest of the game excluding the top of the 7th.

There won't be much time to rest for the Yellow Jackets. Tech faces Kennesaw State at home tomorrow, with first pitch set to be at 4:00 p.m.

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