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Georgia Tech

Tech’s Hyde, Palka win Cape League title

6:54 am August 18, 2012, by Ken Sugiura

Georgia Tech shortstop Mott Hyde and outfielder Daniel Palka concluded their summer in memorable fashion, helping their Cape Cod Baseball League team to a league championship Friday.
Down 5-3 in the top of the ninth with one out, Palka singled and then Hyde hit a two-run home run to tie the game for the Wareham Gatemen. The team won it in the 10th with three more runs in the top of the 10th to beat the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the final game of the three-game series.
Hyde and Palka also delivered earlier in the postseason. In the West Division playoffs, Hyde hit another two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning (again with Palka on base) to lift the Gatemen to a two-game sweep and an 8-6 win over the Bourne Braves. Hyde was 3-for-4 with a two-run triple, also with Palka on base.
In the first game of the league championship series, after Wareham fell behind 4-1 early, Palka homered in the fourth to make it 4-2, Hyde walked, stole second and scored for a 4-3 score in the seventh and then Palka tied it in the eighth to tie the game at 4. Wareham won 5-4.
For the season, Hyde hit .281 with 26 RBI in 44 games. Palka hit .272 with 11 home runs (tied for third in the league) and 35 RBI (tied for fifth).

Ken Sugiura, Georgia Tech blog

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10 comments Add your comment

SuperJacket

August 18th, 2012
8:18 am

I hope those boys can carry this into the regular season. Tech is due for great things!

OldGold64

August 18th, 2012
8:35 am

congratulations, guys.

Shambo

August 18th, 2012
9:19 am

Good to hear – that league has some great players.
2013 might be our year. With Farmer returning, a new pitching coach, and a healthy starting rotation and bullpen, pitching should not be our Achilles heel in ‘13.
It also appears that late in the ‘12 season, Hall began backing away from his usual ’super-conservative’ strategy and started letting the players swing at the first pitch. Every team in the ACC new Tech batters would not swing at the first pitch. Amazing how much more offense you can generate with 3 strikes, rather than 2.
note to Coach Hall: You’ve got great talent on the team – don’t dumb them down or you could become the next Chan Gailey.
Shambo

CT_Jacket

August 18th, 2012
9:26 am

I’m relatively new up here and not too far from Cape Cod but haven’t made it over to watch any games. Perhaps next season.

I would love to see Tech back in the CWS. It was amazing how well they did in the ACC tourney last year with all of the pitching injuries. Perhaps they can borrow the new football strength coach and work in a little yoga to stay off of the “DL” next spring.

gt45

August 18th, 2012
10:52 am

Might have to look into season tickets this year!

Biff Pocoroba

August 18th, 2012
5:41 pm

Tech players plaing well in the post season? I guess Danny Hall wasn’t coaching. His seat is pretty hot right now since he was forced to fire his best friend and bring in a real pitching coach with experience and is willing to recruit.

spider

August 18th, 2012
7:07 pm

biff pocoroba, one of the great major league catchers of all time…NOT

Jacket Man

August 19th, 2012
6:30 am

Biff=WnE=loser

Biff Pocoroba

August 19th, 2012
11:38 am

What coach has choked more with so much talent than Danny Hall? If you still support his terrible coaching and way he handles his staff, then you are loser that doesn’t want a winner here.

bill

August 21st, 2012
5:59 pm

True,Danny has had many talented teams since 94. A few of the times, he probably should have made it to Omaha. The 03 and 04 teams were post season disasters. Tech should have reached the Supers when they were up on ‘Bama in the winners bracket. Probably should have NOT used Deck on short rest . O.K..probably shouldn’t have dwelled on Wieters and Payne as 2 way players closing games in 06.No way should they have MISSED the 07 field.
They also have had some bad luck over the years. Pope gets hurt vs A Peay two years ago.Meant Grimes had to pitch earlier than Danny wanted…. Also, team plays Az St in 98 after incredible 9th inning comeback vs Ok St.earlier in the day. Tornado hits Wichita, Mills gets extra day and outpitches a fabulous Vance as Az St goes to CWS instead. 2012 team was on a roll, but goes to one of 2 places that had no shot at winning…Gainesville (other would have been Columbia).
But you have to be fair. In 95, Danny gets that team in field keeping streak alive at the time. Team had little expectations after Nomar, Tek, Rigby and JP left. If Elder doesn’t implode in 97, Tech probably goes to Omaha.In 2002, team after Mark left gets to Omaha with 5 or 6 frosh starters.Danny has done well with lowered expectations many times at Tech. The problem has been with the super talented classes that he has come up short too often.
Honestly…and think Danny would agree…if this 13 team remains healthy, they should at the very least….the very least…be in contention for a National Seed. UNC and NC ST will be outstanding next year, but Tech has the upper class star players( Farmer, Grimes, Thomas, Palka, etc) and leaders with heart ( Evans, Hyde, Wren, Cruz) that should make Tech an elite team. Davies graduates, but Tech has a core of kids that faced serious adversity and won the ACC Tournament. They played very well last few weeks of the season with a decimated pitching staff. THEY SHOWED HEART..something too many previous Tech teams didn’t have when the chips were down. This crew is special….EXPECT this team to make a serious run for the NCAA title.