ATLANTA — Seven unanswered runs across the seventh and eighth innings helped lead Georgia Tech to a 9-6 victory over Cornell in the Big Red's season-opening contest before 1,063 at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium on Friday evening.

The Yellow Jackets plated four unanswered runs in the seventh to turn a 5-2 Cornell lead into a 6-5 advantage for the hosts before a pair of home runs in the eighth added some insurance for Georgia Tech.

Drew Burress (2-for-4, three RBI), Payton Green (3-for-5, triple, home run, two RBI), and John Giesler (1-for-5, home run, two RBI) all posted multi-RBI efforts for Georgia Tech (5-0).

Junior first baseman Max Jensen scored three of the five runs for Cornell (0-1) on the day while going 1-for-2 at the plate and drawing a trio of walks.

Riley Stanford picked up his first victory for the Yellow Jackets, pitching one inning of relief and allowing an unearned run. Camron Hill started for Georgia Tech, fanning seven Cornell batters over the first four innings. He allowed one hit and one run while issuing three free passes.

Sophomore southpaw Noah Keller was saddled with the loss for Cornell after giving up four unanswered runs in 3.1 innings of relief of sophomore right-hander Carson Mayfield, who pitched the first three innings for the Big Red. Keller gave up three hits while walking five and fanning three while Mayfield yielded four hits, two runs, and three walks while adding a pair of punchouts.

Cornell scored first in the opening frame on a bases-loaded walk drawn by junior center fielder Jakobi Davis. Freshman third baseman Luke Johnson ignited the inning for the Big Red by collecting his first collegiate hit with an opposite field leadoff double, out of the reach of a diving Parker Brosius in right field. Davis' walk was the final free pass issued by Hill, as five of the first six Cornell batters reached base safely.

Georgia Tech tied the game in the home half of the first on an RBI triple by Green before an RBI single in the third by Bobby Zmarzlak gave the Yellow Jackets a 2-1 lead.

Hill settled into a groove after a shaky first inning, retiring the final 10 Cornell batters he faced before giving way to Camren Landry in the fifth.

A three-run, two-out rally by Cornell in the fifth gave Cornell a 4-2 lead as an RBI single by senior catcher Nathan Waugh and a two-run single by junior left fielder Ryan Porter put the Big Red ahead.

Cornell's lead was upped to three in the seventh, 5-2, following an error by Green that enabled Jensen to cross home plate for the third time on the day.

Four unanswered runs in the bottom of the seventh gave the Yellow Jackets a 6-5 lead, capped by a bases-clearing double to the left-center field gap off the bat of Green.

Home runs by Green and Giesler in the eighth increased the Yellow Jackets' lead up to 9-5.

In the ninth, following a groundout and a strikeout, Cornell ignited another two-out rally as a pinch-hit double by senior Braden Mack was followed by a single through the left side of the infield by sophomore right fielder Caden Wildman. Mack eventually scored following on a wild pitch by Terry Busse.

GAME NOTES
• Friday was the fifth all-time meeting between Cornell and Georgia Tech and the first since a March 23 doubleheader in 1991. Cornell's lead in the series was trimmed to 3-2 with the setback.

• Jensen's three runs were his most in a game since also crossing home plate a trio of times last year against Columbia on April 2.

• Mack, who was making his first appearance in a game since May 8, 2022, recorded his first hit since collecting a single against Richmond on March 18, 2022, and was his second extra-base hit of his collegiate career (double in collegiate debut against fellow ACC foe Virginia on Feb. 25, 2022).

• Johnson, junior designated hitter William Jaun, and freshmen pitchers Max Foster and Nathaniel Jennewein all made their collegiate debuts on Friday.

• The Big Red posted a .400 batting average (6-for-15) with two outs and also collected five hits from its leadoff hitters.

• Cornell fell to 63-11 under Dan Pepicelli when holding the lead after the sixth inning. The Big Red is now 9-2 since the beginning of last season when taking the lead into the seventh inning.

UP NEXT
Cornell and Georgia Tech will play the middle game of its three-game series from Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium on Saturday. First pitch between the Big Red and Yellow Jackets is slated for 2 p.m. Freshman left-handed pitcher Huxley Holcombe is scheduled to make his collegiate debut as he will battle against Georgia Tech right-hander Aeden Finateri (1-0, 1.50 ERA). Game action will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.