Yellow Jacked Up
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Georgia Tech Baseball: Jackets win thriller against UCLA

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

4 Mar 1998: A general view of a baseball laying in a glove on the grass during an Arizona Diamondbacks spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Hohkam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Cubs 9-8.
4 Mar 1998: A general view of a baseball laying in a glove on the grass during an Arizona Diamondbacks spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Hohkam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Cubs 9-8. /
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An extra-innings walk-off home run by Kyle McCann gave the Georgia Tech baseball team a 3-2 victory over the UCLA Bruins on Friday evening.

It took a bit more than the normal nine innings, but the Georgia Tech baseball team on Friday evening found a way to get the job done against a top-5 ranked UCLA Bruins. The Bruins entered the weekend with an undefeated record but the Jackets (2-1) were not backing down from the challenge.

Junior right-hander Xzavion Curry got his second of the start on Friday night and pitched five solid frames allowing just two runs, only one them being an earned run. He struck out four while walking three in the process.

Bruins right-hander Zach Pettway went up against Curry and pitched a solid game himself, allowing just three earned runs over seven innings. He struck out five while walking one.

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Offensively, it was a quiet day both teams with just 16 total hits between the two teams despite a combined 73 at-bats between the two programs. The Jackets hit a mere .200 off Bruins pitching on Friday night but were able to find runs, with two of them coming on solo home runs.

The Bruins were the first ones to strike on Friday night, scoring a sac-fly in the second inning but the Yellow Jackets quickly answered back in the bottom of the second on an Austin Wilhite double, bringing home Tanner English. A Michael Guldberg sac-fly later in the inning would give the Jackets a 2-1 lead heading into the third.

The Bruins would tie the game up in the fourth with their second sac-fly of the game before sophomore Luke Waddell stepped to the plate and went yard giving the Jackets a 3-2 lead. UCLA would tie it up in the sixth inning but that would be the last time they got on the scoreboard on Friday.

After a bit of lull in the action for the next few innings, junior catcher Kyle McCann stepped up to the plate looking to send the fans home happy. McCann would do just that in that at-bat, hitting his third home run of the season to give the Jackets a 4-3 victory. The 4-3 victory delivered UCLA their first loss of the season.

The Yellow Jackets and Bruins will look to follow up their entertaining first game on Saturday at 2:00 pm in the second game of the three-game series. Left-hander Connor Thomas will take the mound for the Yellow Jackets as he goes up against right-hander Jack Ralston.

A series victory over UCLA would be an early statement for the Jackets putting the country on notice. The Jackets entered the season with high expectations and a series win over UCLA would put the Jackets in a good spot going forward. That being said, it won’t be easy for the Jackets as they take on a UCLA pitching staff that has only allowed three earned runs all season.