No. 2 Georgia Tech beats No. 3 North Carolina, 5-2

Staff Reports

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — No. 2 Georgia Tech got back on track in a big way Sunday, knocking off No. 3 North Carolina 5-2 at Boshamer Stadium to salvage the weekend series and continue one of the most impressive seasons in program history.

The Yellow Jackets (32-7, 16-5 ACC) used timely hitting and dominant bullpen work to secure their 10th win over a Top 15 opponent this season — a mark not reached in over a century of Georgia Tech baseball.

After both teams traded runs in the first inning, Tech seized control in the third. Drew Burress ignited the rally with a leadoff double and later scored on a single by Jarren Advincula. Kent Schmidt followed with a go-ahead RBI double, and Ryan Zuckerman added a run-scoring groundout to push the Jackets ahead for good.

North Carolina threatened in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases, but reliever Caden Gaudette entered and induced an inning-ending groundout. From there, Georgia Tech’s pitching staff took over.

Gaudette and Mason Patel combined for 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just a handful of baserunners and preventing the Tar Heels from mounting any serious comeback attempt.

Patel, who has been dominant since returning from injury, worked the final four innings to earn his fourth save of the season.

At the plate, Burress and Schmidt each delivered multi-hit performances, while Advincula continued his torrid pace, adding two more hits to extend his ACC-leading total to 68 on the season. Zuckerman also reached a milestone, becoming the first Yellow Jacket this year to surpass 50 RBIs.

The victory adds to a growing list of accomplishments for first-year head coach James Ramsey’s club. Georgia Tech’s 32-7 start is its best since 2010, and the Jackets’ 417 runs through 39 games are the most in program history at that point in a season.

Now, the focus quickly shifts to one of the most anticipated games of the year.

Georgia Tech will face in-state rival Georgia on Tuesday night in the annual “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” showdown at Truist Park in Atlanta. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m., with all proceeds from the game benefiting the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

The neutral-site matchup between two of the state’s premier programs has become one of the highlights of the college baseball season in Georgia, drawing large crowds and adding another chapter to one of the South’s most storied rivalries.

For a Georgia Tech team already stacking wins and building postseason momentum, Tuesday’s clash offers another opportunity to prove itself on a big stage.