“My mentality was just not to let things bleed. I gave up a home run, but other than that, I just didn’t let the previous at-bat affect the next one. Every batter is a new batter. Just keep a clear mind and move forward.”
Finateri (6-4) went six-plus innings and allowed just two runs, eight hits and one walk. He fanned five and threw 63 of his 88 pitches for strikes.
Army finished its season 31-23.
With Tech leading 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth, John Giesler walked to the plate with the bases loaded and one out and Tech with a 3-2 lead. Giesler would walk on eight pitches to drive in a run and put the Jackets up 4-2.
Freshman Tate McKee (S,1) came out of the pen to try for the save and, after an initial walk, got a liner to center, a foul to left field and a grounder to first to seal the deal.
Tech jumped out in front in the first when Drew Burress crushed a 2-1 pitch from Army starter Justin Lehman, a solo home run to left making the score 1-0. One out later, Giesler hit a liner to left that barely cleared the wall for a solo shot, making the score 2-0.
“It had been a while (since we scored) and we knew it,” Burress said. “We just needed to get on the (scoreboard), and then it would open back up and we could open it up. It’s not on your mind, but it’s definitely something you want to be the person to help the team get going.”
The Jackets had gone scoreless in their previous 18 innings until the first-inning home runs.
“They have two big guys. I have Burress and Giesler. I made a mistake with those two guys. And they both decided to do what they do,” Lehman said.
In the fourth, Bobby Zmarzlak walked with one out and advanced to second on Payton Green’s bunt. Mike Becchetti came through with a single to left field to score Zmarzlak and give the Jackets a 3-0 lead.
Chris Barr hit a short throw to the right of second for an infield single to start Army’s sixth inning. That brought Sam Ruta to the plate, and the senior third baseman hit a two-run shot into right field, cutting the score to 3-2.
Another infield hit, this one off the bat of Ethan Ellis out to second, gave Army a baserunner to start the seventh. That kicked Finateri out of the game when Tech brought in freshman Riley Stanford.
A sacrifice bunt moved Ellis to second before Derek Berg walked. After a fly ball to center, Ruta stepped in and threw the first pitch he saw into foul territory, where Tech first baseman Cam Jones was waiting to squeeze him in for the final out.
Lehman (5-4) went 6 1/3 innings and allowed just three earned runs. He allowed six hits, walked three and struck out two while throwing 96 pitches (63 strikes).
Georgia and UNC Wilmington were scheduled to play at 6 p.m. on Saturday; the winner would advance to Sunday’s game at 6 p.m. and the loser would fall to Sunday’s elimination game against Tech at noon.
“I kind of told them before the game, ‘(Our backs) are against the wall and there’s going to be a fight,'” head coach Danny Hall said. “You can’t go back because that wall is back there. So the only way you can follow is forward. And they did a great job just taking those steps forward. “Now we have to get some momentum and get into a game (Sunday) and play well again.”
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