ATHENS. Ga. — Georgia Tech had to win two elimination games just to get its first shot at nonconference rival Georgia in the NCAA tournament’s Athens Regional.
It took a little extra effort, but the Bulldogs made sure the Yellow Jackets didn’t get a second chance.
Georgia sophomore Kolby Branch hit a tying solo home run in top of the eighth inning, and Corey Collins capped the team’s three-run ninth with a two-out, two-run double as the Bulldogs, seeded No. 7 nationally, rallied to beat the Jackets 8-6 on Sunday night and earn a spot in the super regionals.
In the postgame news conference, Collins said he had to ask how many innings the game had gone.
“I didn’t even know,” he said in quotes posted at Georgia’s athletic site. “But we fought the whole time, and that just sealed the deal. We fought all year to get here, and we brought it back home and we defended our turf, and it was great to be with these guys and just take it to the next level, and that’s what we wanted to do.”