The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets would host the Old Dominion Monarchs today to start a three-game weekend series to start the baseball season for both teams.
Yellow Jackets pitcher Tate McKee would get the start, while pitcher Ben Moore would start for the Monarchs.
McKee started the contest by retiring the first nine batters that he faced.
Neither team would record a hit until Old Dominion catcher Efrain Morales hit a single to right field in the top of the fourth inning. However, two batters later, the Yellow Jackets would turn a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Yellow Jackets catcher Vahn Lackey would get the first hit of the contest for the team with two outs in the fourth inning, when he hit a single that got by Old Dominion third baseman Tyler Zedalis. putting Yellow Jackets first baseman Kent Schmidt, who was walked earlier in the inning, on second base. However, the inning would end eight pitches later when Moore would strike out Yellow Jackets left fielder Alex Hernandez.
McKee would walk his first batter in the fifth inning, Kaiden Jorge, who would reach third base later in the inning after a throwing error by catcher Vahn Lackey with one out in the inning. McKee would walk the next batter before allowing a single to Monarchs catcher Evan Holman, who would bring home Jorge, putting the Monarchs up 1-0 in the fifth inning.
The Monarchs would make their first pitching change of the contest after Moore got the first out of the fifth inning, with Ethan Hubbell.
The Yellow Jackets would make a pitching change entering the sixth inning, bringing in sophomore Carson Ballard, who would strike out all three batters faced in the inning.
Schmidt would hit the Yellow Jackets first home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth inning, a solo shot that would put the Yellow Jackets on the board for the first time in the contest, tying the game 1-1.
In the seventh inning, the Yellow Jackets would get a run after a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Carson Kerce would bring home Hernandez, putting the Yellow Jackets up 2-1.
The Monarchs would battle back to tie the contest in the top of the eighth after a double by Morales would bring home outfielder Ryan Thomas, making the score 2-2. Jaylen Paden would then come in to take over the mound for Ballard for the Yellow Jackets.
With runners on second and third base, Paden would get a strikeout, tag out a runner heading home in a rundown, and another strikeout to end the eighth inning.
Monarchs pitcher Nick Sulpizio would take over the mound for the bottom of the eighth inning. Back-to-back walks for the Yellow Jackets would put Drew Burress and Schmidt on first an second with zero outs. The Yellow Jackets would capitalize on the opportunity, as Burress would score after a fielders choice to put the Yellow Jackets up 3-2.
Paden would strikeout two of the final three batters faced, with the last out being a catch in deep center field to Burress to secure the 3-2 win over the Monarchs.
The two teams will be set for action again tomorrow at 4pm Eastern time in game two of their three game series.