ATLANTA (Interstat) — Alex Hernandez homered three times and drove in nine runs, leading Georgia Tech to a 22-5 demolition of Illinois-Chicago on Friday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets improved to 47-9-1 while the Flames dropped to 27-28-1.

Illinois-Chicago struck first in the top of the second inning. With one out, Alexander Wright singled and Will Flanigan followed with a two-run homer to right field. Sean Cody walked but was left stranded as the Flames took a 2-0 lead.

Georgia Tech answered immediately in the bottom half. Ryan Zuckerman singled and Hernandez crushed a two-run homer to deep left. Parker Brosius then homered to right center, tying the game at 3-3. The Yellow Jackets added three more in the third. Jarren Advincula doubled and Vahn Lackey homered to left for a 5-3 lead. Hernandez doubled, Matt Schmidt singled him home, and Will Baker doubled in two more to push the margin to 8-3.

The game broke open in the fourth inning. Advincula doubled, Lackey was hit by a pitch and Zuckerman singled to load the bases. Hernandez launched a grand slam to deep right field, making it 12-3. Carson Ballard, who started on the mound for Georgia Tech, was lifted after four innings having allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts.

After a pitching change, Brosius reached on a fielder’s choice and Baker singled, putting runners on the corners. Carson Kerce then homered to left, a three-run shot that stretched the lead to 15-3. Advincula followed with a two-run homer to right, scoring Brenden Burress who had walked. The inning ended with Georgia Tech holding a 17-3 advantage.

Illinois-Chicago scratched for a run in the fifth when Flanigan homered again, this time a solo shot to right. But Hernandez answered in the sixth with his third homer, a three-run blast that scored Lewis and Rogers, making it 20-4. Baker doubled in two more in the same inning, capping Georgia Tech’s scoring at 22-5.

Jake Busson homered for the Flames in the eighth, a two-run shot that scored Thomas Curry, but it was far too late.

Flanigan finished with two homers and three RBIs for Illinois-Chicago. Hernandez led all hitters with nine RBIs. Advincula had four hits, including two doubles and a homer, and scored four times. Baker collected three hits and four RBIs. Kerce drove in three runs with his homer. Lackey added a homer and two RBIs. Brosius homered and scored three times. Carson Ballard earned the win for Georgia Tech after allowing three runs over four innings.

Aidan Terronez took the loss for Illinois-Chicago, surrendering five runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Illinois-Chicago 6, Georgia Tech 8. Interstat’s ELO system gave the Yellow Jackets an 85.1 percent probability to win. Georgia Tech had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 8.5.