Tech baseball reversed a recent slide with their first ACC series win since their sweep of Virginia Tech by taking two of three games from Florida State from April 8–10. Wins on Friday night and Sunday afternoon gave the Jackets the series over the No. 13 Seminoles. Tech scored six or more runs in all three games.
The first game saw the top of Tech’s order dominate at the plate, helping plate six runs in the first three innings. Sophomore infielders Chandler Simpson and Andrew Jenkins as well as sophomore catcher Kevin Parada combined to go nine of 14, highlighted by Jenkins’ 5–5 game and Parada’s two home runs. Sophomore infielders Jadyn Jackson and Tim Borden II also had multi-hit games as the Jackets peppered 16 hits to drive in their seven runs.
Junior pitcher Chance Huff kept Tech steady on the mound for the first six innings, only allowing three hits and an unearned run. After two innings by freshman pitcher Aeden Finateri that netted two unearned runs for FSU, sophomore pitcher Zach Maxwell came in with the bases loaded and struck out three straight Seminoles on only 12 pitches to earn the save and give Tech the 7–3 win. Jacket pitchers totaled 15 strikeouts on the night, helping to strand 11 FSU baserunners.
A back-and-forth game two saw the Seminoles pull away in late innings, tying the series with a 9–6 win. Simpson and Parada were again dominant, recording three hits each and scoring all six of Tech’s runs between them. Parada hit his third home run of the series and both players hit triples. Jenkins drove in three runs to lead the Institute in RBIs.
Runs came in ones and twos until the fifth inning, when the Jackets led 4–3, but FSU pulled ahead 6–4 after the sixth. Tech tacked on two to tie the game in the seventh, but three Seminole runs in the final two frames handed them the win.Tech used six pitchers on the day, with redshirt senior John Medich receiving the loss after allowing one earned run in his inning of work. Jacket pitchers issued only one total walk and struck out 12, but a dozen FSU hits proved too much to overcome.
Tech shut out the Seminoles to clinch the series in game three, winning 10–0 after stranding all 14 FSU baserunners. Parada and Jackson provided the Jackets’ two multi-hit games, while Simpson and Jenkins scored three runs apiece. Sophomore outfielder Tres Gonzalez and sophomore infielder Drew Compton each drove in a trio of runs as Tech scored ten runs on nine hits.
Sophomore pitcher Marquis Grissom Jr. handled the bulk of the work for the Institute, going 5.2 shutout innings before redshirt junior pitcher Joseph Mannelly struck out the only batter he faced to get the Jackets through six empty frames. Medich and Maxwell each steered Tech through a shutout inning, before senior pitcher Cole McNamee capped the win off with a flawless ninth.
Softball beat Boston College on the road, taking the first two games before dropping the third. Neither of the two wins ended in the standard seven innings, as the first featured four extra frames and the second ended after five as the Jackets mercy-ruled the Eagles.
Game one was a pitchers’ duel, with only four total runs scored in the 11 innings of play. Junior pitcher Blake Neleman handled the first nine innings for Tech, striking out ten and only allowing one earned run on a fifth-inning sacrifice fly. Junior pitcher Chandler Dennis finished the game and earned the win, guiding the team through two scoreless innings as Tech tallied two runs in the 11th for the 3–1 win.
Junior catcher Emma Kauf and freshman infielder Grace Connelly had Tech’s two multi-hit performances and Kauf scored the team’s final run. Sophomore designated player Sarah Beth Allen recorded the game-winning hit with her two-RBI single, while sophomore infielder Jin Sileo drove in the Jackets’ sole run before extra innings.
After a close opening game, Tech dominated game two, piling on 11 runs by the end of the third inning and cruising to a 14–2 win. Dennis pitched a complete game, only allowing five hits in her five innings of work as she received more than enough run support to pick up her second win in as many days.
At the plate, every Tech starter recorded a hit and scored a run as seven different players reached base twice or more. Kauf and freshman outfielder Ella Edgmon each drove in three runs and Allen picked up a pair of RBIs as well. The Jackets’ hot bats gave the team rest after the marathon the night before and clinched the series win.
Tech could not complete the sweep, seemingly using all their hits in game two. The team’s only hit of the day was a double by Kauf as the Boston College defense played a mistake free game. Freshman pitcher Sophia Voyles allowed two runs in 2.1 innings of work and received the loss. Neleman cleaned up in the late innings, only allowing one run through three innings, but the Eagles secured the 4–0 win.