ATLANTA (Interstat) -- Caleb Daniel launched two home runs and drove in six runs as Georgia Tech erupted for an 11-5 victory over Bowling Green in the season opener for both teams Friday evening at Russ Chandler Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets, trailing 5-0 before their first at-bat, chipped away before Daniel’s second blast, a three-run shot in the fourth inning, erased the deficit and sparked a dominant offensive performance. Georgia Tech piled up 13 hits and drew nine walks to overpower the Falcons.

Bowling Green had built its early lead without a hit, capitalizing on five walks, two hit batters and two Georgia Tech errors in a chaotic top of the first inning. The Falcons sent 10 men to the plate, scoring all five runs before the Yellow Jackets recorded an out. The rally was halted by a double play and a strikeout, foreshadowing the Falcons’ struggles to sustain offense. They grounded into two double plays and struck out 14 times.

Georgia Tech starter Aeden Finateri settled after the rocky first, working four innings and allowing just the five unearned runs. The bullpen combination of Ben King, Joseph Loy, Charlie Willcox, Caden Gaudette and Dawson Vicens held the Falcons to just one earned run over the final five frames to secure the win.

The game’s decisive shift came in the bottom of the fourth. Trailing 5-2, Ryan Zuckerman and Will Baker singled ahead of Daniel, who crushed a 1-1 pitch over the center field wall for a three-run homer, tying the game at 5-5. The inning exemplified Georgia Tech’s patient approach, continuing with two more hits and two walks, though a double play prevented further damage.

The Yellow Jackets took the lead for good in the sixth. With the score still tied, they loaded the bases with two outs against reliever Titus Lotz. Ethan Papacek entered and promptly walked Zuckerman to force in the go-ahead run. Baker followed with a sharp two-run single to right, extending the lead to 8-5.

Georgia Tech added insurance in the seventh on an RBI single by Drew Hernandez and put the game out of reach in the eighth. Zuckerman walked and Baker doubled before Daniel delivered again, lacing a two-run double down the right field line to make it 11-5.

Bowling Green’s offense was limited to nine hits, with Nathan Seidel providing a bright spot. His solo home run in the fourth accounted for the Falcons’ only earned run until the ninth, when they scored an unearned run on a Georgia Tech error. Leadoff hitter Jack Salvione had an RBI single in the seventh.

The loss went to Bowling Green reliever Jacob Turner, while Georgia Tech’s Ben King earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief.

The most important part of the game was Caleb Daniel’s second home run, the three-run blast in the bottom of the fourth inning. It completely transformed the contest. Until that moment, Bowling Green, despite being outplayed statistically, held a 5-2 lead and all momentum from its bizarre five-run first inning. Daniel’s swing not only erased the deficit but also visibly shifted the energy to the home dugout. It ignited Georgia Tech’s offense, which had been held to two runs over the first three innings, and catalyzed the relentless, patient attack that defined the rest of the game. From that point forward, the Yellow Jackets outscored the Falcons 9-0 over the next four innings, seizing control and never relinquishing it.

With the win, Georgia Tech begins the season 1-0 and will host Georgia Southern on Tuesday. Bowling Green starts 0-1 and will continue its road trip at Western Carolina on Feb. 20.