Hardball Jackets Hit Four Homers, Down BC 11-3

Today's was the ideal baseball game; the kind of game that Norman Rockwell would paint. The Joltin' Jackets did their part by continuing their blitzkrieg on college baseball with 11 runs to bring them to 181 this year. That's good for second in the country in runs scored, behind Georgia State oddly enough (Tech beat them 16-5 earlier this year). The weather did its part, giving us a glorious 75-degree-and-sunny day that brought a full grandstand with it. This was a homer-heavy game in which six players got it over the fence. Other than their two home runs, B.C. never really could get much offense going against Sam Clay and Dusty Issacs, who moved to 3-1 with the win. It was the best microcosm of spring break you could ask for, and it couldn't have been much better.

Tech scored in six innings, which is something you've got to love about the Jackets this year. At any point in the game, G.T. can get runs up on the board and bring the game home. They got started immediately in the first with two RBIs from Zane Evans and Brandon Thomas, and continued in the second with Matt Gonzalez's solo shot to move the score to 3-0. Daniel Spingola added another off a sac fly in the fourth, and Zane got the last three of his four RBIs from his three run homer that hit Fowler St. in the fifth. Tech wrapped it up in the bottom of the eighth, scoring four off of two homers and an RBI double from Mott Hyde. Hyde's been a little cold on the season so it was good to see him bring a man across. B.C. got their runs off of two straight home runs in the fourth (the only sore spot of the game for Dusty, really) and a set of singles in their half of the ninth.

Dusty Issacs threw the ball well, only going through a bad stretch when he allowed four hits in four batters in the fourth, two of which were home runs. He shook the stench off well and finished with a nice line: 7IP, 4H, 2ER, 2BB, 6K. Sam Clay pitched just as well and earned a fine looking final himself: 2IP, 2H, 1ER, 2BB, 1K. If Matt Gonzalez keeps playing like he has been, though, it might not matter what the pitching staff does. The kid went 3-4 today with a homer, his third of 2013. He also has 27 RBIs and is hitting .416. All as a true freshman. Wow!

Tech tries for its first ACC sweep tomorrow at 1P.M. at the Rusty C. It's supposed to be in the mid-70s and is family day (kids get to run the base path before the game) so come on out and support your Diamond Jackets! If you can't make it, the game can be heard on 91.1 FM in Atlanta or at WREK's live stream everywhere.