ATLANTA — Georgia Tech topped Northwestern, 12-1, in the first of a three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium.
 
Five Wildcats collected hits and the NU bullpen allowed no runs over the final three innings of the non-conference contest.
 
In the first inning, junior infielder Alex Erro ripped a single into left field to extend his hitting streak to 22-straight games. The Wildcats loaded the bases in the first frame but came up empty-handed. NU forced the Yellow Jacket starter Xzavion Curry into tossing 31 pitches in the first inning.
 
Georgia Tech also loaded the bases in the bottom half of the first, but junior starter Hank Christie got three straight outs to end the frame unscathed.
 
In the top of the second, senior infielder Jack Dunn extended his on-base streak to 34-striaght games — dating back to last season — with a walk. Despite putting two runners on the frame, NU again was unable to score.
 
GT scored first in the second with back-to-back base hits. They scored again in the bottom of the third when backstop Kyle McCann slugged his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot. McCann struck again in the fourth inning by hitting a grand slam, extending the Yellow Jacket lead to 6-0. Georgia Tech scored one more time in the frame to extend their lead to 7-0.
 
Georgia Tech scored five more in the bottom of the fifth to extend their lead to 12-0.
 
Junior southpaw Matt Gannon tossed 1.1 innings of perfect relief to help finish the game for NU. Junior reliever Nick Cauley also added an inning of no-hit ball for the 'Cats.
 
Northwestern will play a double-header tomorrow (Saturday) at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. CT to finish their stay in Atlanta. NU was originally set to play one game on Saturday and one on Sunday, but inclement weather changed those plans.
 
OF NOTE:

• 1B Willie Bourbon knocked in his fourth run of the season on an eighth-inning fielder's choice.
• SS Jack Dunn went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a walk … He extended his on-base streak to 34-straight games.
• 2B Alex Erro went 1-for-2 … He lengthened his hitting streak to 22-straight games, the longest active streak on the 'Cats.
• C Jack Kelly finished 1-for-2 … His single was his first base hit this season.
• LF Michael Trautwein has a hit in back-to-back games for the first time this season … He was 1-for-4.
• DH Anthony Calarco tied his career high with two walks … He has walked seven times in 28 plate appearances (25 percent).
• PH-2B Shawn Goosenberg was hit by a pitch for the first time in his career.
• LHP Parker Hanks struck out one batter in two-thirds of an inning … Of eleven total outs this season, seven have been strikeouts (63.6 percent) … His 60 percent rate coming into the game was tops in the Big Ten (min. 10 BF).
• LHP Matt Gannon tossed 1.1 perfect innings of relief … Three of his last four relief outings last season were scoreless appearances of more than an inning pitched.
  • He threw 16 pitches, 12 of which were strikes (75 percent).
• Northwestern set a season low with one run scored.

 

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