Freshman lefty Tristan Smith gave up six earned runs over 1.1 innings pitched to start Saturday (file photo).

by CU Athletic Communications - Sat Mar 25 18:54:04 GMT-04:00 2023

ATLANTA – Georgia Tech scored in each of the first six innings in its 16-3 victory over Clemson at Russ Chandler Stadium on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets, who took a 2-0 lead in the series, improved to 16-7 overall and 5-3 in the ACC. The Tigers fell to 14-10 overall and 1-4 in ACC play.

Jake DeLeo led off the first inning with a homer, breaking Clemson’s 12-game streak of not allowing a first-inning run, then the Yellow Jackets added four more runs in the frame. Benjamin Blackwell belted a solo homer, his first of the year, in the top of the second inning. After a Georgia Tech run in the bottom of the second inning, Caden Grice crushed a long two-run homer, his third of the season, in the top of the third inning.

Georgia Tech, who had 19 hits in the game, responded with three runs in the bottom of the third inning on Jack Rubenstein’s leadoff homer and DeLeo’s two-run homer, his second of the game, then added a two-out run in the fourth inning to build a 10-3 lead. The Yellow Jackets scored four runs in the fifth inning, capped by Drew Compton’s three-run homer, and two runs in the sixth inning.

Yellow Jacket starter Luke Schmolke (3-0) earned the win by tossing 5.0 effective innings, allowing six hits, three runs and three walks with five strikeouts. Tiger starter Tristan Smith (0-1) suffered the loss.

The series concludes Sunday at 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

Clemson-GT game two