STANFORD, Calif. – Opening a three-game ACC series on Friday night, Stanford (17-10, 5-8 ACC) dropped an 8-6 decision to No. 25 Georgia Tech (24-6, 9-4 ACC) from Sunken Diamond.
Georgia Tech jumped out to the early 4-0 advantage after two innings by way of a run in the first and three more in the second.
Looking to snap a six-game losing streak in ACC play, Stanford clawed back and eventually took a 5-4 lead after scoring a run in the third and four in the fourth.
The first of three sac flies in the game for Stanford, and the first of two from Trevor Haskins, put the Cardinal on the board in the third inning before Stanford took advantage of a throwing error in the fourth in front of RBI-singles from Temo Becerra and Tatum Marsh – the latter of which tied the game at 4-4. Haskins would again contribute a sac fly, lofting a fly ball to right field that chased home Becerra and the go-ahead run in the fourth.
Needing a shutdown inning in the top of the fifth, Stanford was unable to hang the zero as the Yellow Jackets scored three runs on three hits – including a two-out, two-RBI double from Tyler Neises – to reclaim the lead at 7-5.
The two teams traded a run in the sixth inning, but Georgia Tech held on for victory as neither squad pushed anything across in the final third of the game.
Georgia Tech reliever Mason Patel pitched the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts. The midseason All-American was credited with the victory and moved to 8-1 on the season.
Making his first start at the front of Stanford’s rotation, sophomore Joey Volchko was saddled with the loss and dropped to 2-1 on the year after allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings.
Senior Ty Uber relieved Volchko with Stanford leading 5-4 and one out and the bases loaded in the fifth, striking out Carson Kerce for the second out of the inning on just three pitches. Needing one more out to keep the lead intact, Uber unleashed a wild pitch that allowed the tying run to score before walking the batter to reload the bases and set the table for Neises game-changing two-RBI double.
Sam Garewal and Ryan Speshyock impressed at the back end of the bullpen, combining for 3 2/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Garewal whiffed four over 1 2/3 innings before Speshyock struck out three while issuing just one walk over the final two frames.
Stanford will look to even the three-game series on Saturday when it sends left-hander Christian Lim to the mound for a 2:05 p.m. first pitch. Lim will be opposed by right-hander Brady Jones for Georgia Tech.
GAME NOTES:
- Friday’s loss marked the first of the season for Stanford when it managed an inning of four runs or better in a game (12-1)
- Stanford has lost seven consecutive ACC games (swept by Cal and Virginia)
- The Cardinal managed six runs on 12 hits, but stranded eight runners – including a pair in scoring position in the fifth, and one each in scoring position in the sixth, seventh and eighth
- Temo Becerra (2-for-4, 2 R, 3B, RBI) has hit safely in five straight games and has hit safely in 23 of the 27 games this season … has compiled 10 multi-hit games
- Trevor Haskins (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBIs) has hit safely in eight straight games … has hit safely in all but three of his games played this season … posted his team-best 13th multi-hit game and eighth multi-RBI contest
- Tatum Marsh (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) has hit safely in seven straight games and has reached in 23 straight
- Jimmy Nati (1-for-4, R, BB) has hit safely in 13 straight games and all but two this season
- Brady Reynolds (2-for-5, R) collected his 12th multi-hit game and has managed multiple hits in four of the last five