Georgia Tech Baseball: Tristin English, Michael Guldberg power Jackets past NC State
By Lee Cagle
On Saturday the Yellow Jackets powered by two home runs from Tristin English and Michael Guldberg to beat NC State 9-2 and set up a Sunday showdown against UNC for the ACC title.
Georgia Tech and NC State took the diamond at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in the second of two ACC Semifinals on Saturday. North Carolina and Boston College faced off in the first matchup of the day with the Tar Heels walking away with a 13-5 victory, clinching their spot in the ACC Tournament Championship.
Keyton Gibson got the start on Saturday for the Jackets against the Wolfpack and pitched well in his 3.2 innings pitched. He allowed just one run over four hits and two walks but he did strike out three in the process. The Jackets needed a good start out of Gibson against a strong NC State offense and got just that.
The scoring would open up on Saturday evening when Tech’s “Mr. Do It All” Tristin English would lead off the second inning with a no-doubt home run to center field, continuing his great ACC Tournament play.
NC State would tie the game in the third inning manufacturing a run to tie the game at 1-1. That score would hold until the fifth inning when Michael Guldberg uncorked one over the blue monster in left field to make the score 4-1.
The offense would explode again in the 8th inning when Baron Radcliffe would double home two runs following a walk and a double. He would score two batters later with the bases loaded and a wild pitch.
Nick Wilhite would keep the inning going with a base clearing single up the middle to make it 9-1 Jackets. NC State would plate one run in the 9th but the game was safely put away early to advance the Jackets to the championship round.
It is worth noting that Jonathan Hughes was tremendous out of the pen for the Jackets, pitching five innings, allowing just one run. He did walk three but he ended up just allowing two hits as well while sending four Wolfpack hitters to their seats in the dugout. Jake Lee finished off the game, recording the final out and sending the Jackets to the ACC Title game.
The Jackets will now face North Carolina in a high noon matchup on ESPN 2 for the ACC Title. If the Jackets can take down the Tar Heels it will be their first ACC Tournament Championship since 2014. The Jackets have won it a total of nine times including three times between 2000 and 2005.