MACON — The Yellow Jackets pounded out a season-high 18 hits, including three home runs and five doubles, while starter Ben Schniederjans had a strong start out of the gate as Georgia Tech defeated the Mercer Bears 11-3 at OrthoGeorgia Park.
Tech improves to 14-9 overall on the season, while Mercer falls to 21-6 on the year with the loss.
Schniederjans (1-1) registered his first career win, as the righty allowed just one run on two hits and three walks, while striking out two in 5.0 innings of work.
At the plate, former Buford standout Joey Bart had a career day as he was 5-for-5 with two home runs, three singles, a walk and five RBIs. Wade Bailey went 3-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, an RBI and four runs scored, while Trevor Craport was 3-for-6 with two runs scored in the lead-off spot.
Coleman Poje was 2-for-5 with a double, while Chase Murray went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a double and Austin Wilhite was 1-for-4 with two RBIs.
Following a Mercer sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second which put the Bears up early at 1-0, the Jackets answered with a four-run third to take a 4-1 lead.
In the top half of the third, Bailey led off with a double to the left field corner and then abruptly scored on a single through the left side by Bart to tie the game up at 1-1.
Three batters later, Murray doubled to the gap in left center field to score Bart and propel the Jackets in front by at 2-1. Fellow freshman Wilhite followed with a single up the middle to plate both Kel Johnson, who was hit by a pitch, and Murray to push the Tech lead to three at 4-1.
Tech took advantage of a throwing error on the pitcher on a sacrifice bunt attempt in the top of the fourth, as Craport motored all the way around from first base on the miscue to extend the Jackets’ lead to four at 5-1.
The Jackets added to the lead in a big way in the top of the sixth, as Bailey and Bart hit back-to-back solo home runs to left center field to push the Jackets’ lead out to six at 7-1.
Bart was not done there however, as the sophomore catcher followed up a Craport single and a Bailey walk with a monster three-run home run with two outs in the top of the seventh to give the Jackets’ a 10-1 lead.
The home run proved to be beneficial, as the Bears added two runs in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run pinch hit home run by Alex Crotty to put the score at 10-3 in favor of the Jackets.
GT added a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly to put the final score at 11-3.
The Tech bullpen of Jared Datoc (2.0 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, BB, K), Bailey Combs (1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, K) and Micah Carpenter (1.0 IP, BB, 3 K) pitched a strong four innings to help seal the win for the Jackets
The Jackets (14-9, 3-6 ACC) return to ACC play this weekend to host the Clemson Tigers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 31-April 2 at Russ Chandler Stadium.
