With a full three game series over the weekend against the Clemson Tigers, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Danny Hall wanted to put one of his best arms on the mound to start the series, so he called on sophomore pitcher Tate McKee to take the mound for game one of the series.
In his last two starts, McKee would combine to pitch 11 innings and allow just four runs, coming into the game allowing no more than three runs in any of his starts this season.
The Tigers would knock around McKee in the first inning though, as they would score two runs in the top of the first inning, one coming from a single hit by Luke Gaffney, and one by way of a throwing error by Vahn Lackey.
McKee would regain his composure, getting through the second and third inning without allowing a run. With two outs in the fourth inning, Tigers catcher Jacob Jarrell would hit his third home run of the season with two outs in the inning, putting the Tigers up 3-1.
The inning would continue to be a nightmare for McKee, as the Tigers were able to get another run off of a single by Dominic Listi to put the Tigers up 4-1. McKee would strike out the next batter to get out of the inning.
McKee would give up a fifth run to Josh Paino in the fifth inning, who would hit a sac groundout with base runners on second and third to bring the runner on third home to give the Tigers a 5-2 lead.
McKee would pitch the rest of the fifth inning, then be replaced with Mason Patel for the Yellow Jackets. McKee would end the game allowing five runs and striking out six Tigers.