No. 3 Georgia Tech Takes Game One
4/21/2010 1:13:00 AM | Baseball
ATLANTA, Ga. – A four-run five spot sealed a 6-2 game one win for No. 3 Georgia Tech over Georgia Southern on Tuesday (April 20) at Russ Chandler Stadium. The tough loss dropped the Eagles to 21-16 overall, while the Yellow Jackets improved to 32-5.
The non-conference foes traded runs and the lead in the first and third innings. A Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) double down the right field line gave GS the early advantage when it plated Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.). To open the contest, Owens singled to the pitcher's mound and advanced a base on a Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) groundout. The double from Blackburn followed to hand the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
But the home squad knotted the score in the bottom half of the frame. Jeff Rowland led off with a double to right for GT and a throwing error from right field allowed the junior to reach third. Rowland scored in the next at-bat on a single off the bat of Derek Dietrich. Eagle starter Matt Murray (Spring City, Pa.) worked his way out of a jam stranding Dietrich on third base with a fly out, pop up and groundout.
After a scoreless second, the teams tossed runs back-and-forth in the third when Randy J. Williams (Valdosta, Ga.) opened with another Eagle double. Owens followed with a single to right field moving Williams to third base who then scored when Bowles drilled a single back to the pitcher as the Eagles took a 2-1 lead.
A leadoff walk from Tony Plagman put the tying run on base in the bottom of the third for GT. Plagman reached second a Cole Leonida single and scored two batters later on a Chase Burnette single to right field. The Yellow Jackets ran their way out of the third inning when Leonida was caught stealing after a strikeout to end the inning with a double play.
A four-run fifth inning would seal the non-conference win for GT. Dietrich gave the Yellow Jackets the only run they would need for the win with a solo home run to right center to leadoff. GT manufactured its second run of the inning using a walk, single and fielder's choice for a 4-2 lead with one out. With one runner on base, Thomas Nichols launched Tech's second home run of the frame, a two-run shot to right field, for a 6-2 cushion. The inning closed in the next at-bat with a strikeout as both teams were held scoreless for the remainder of the contest.
GT starter Mark Pope (6-0) picked up the win throwing eight complete innings, allowing 10 hits and two runs. The sophomore walked only two batters, while striking out four. Eagle reliever Chris Beck (Jefferson, Ga.) drew the loss, falling to 2-4 after working 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on five hits with three strikeouts.
For the Eagles, both Blackburn and Owens went 2-for-4 for the only multi-hit tallies. Georgia Southern picked up its other six hits from Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.), Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.), Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.), Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Williams.
Dietrich went 2-for-4 for the Yellow Jackets who were out-hit by the Eagles 10-8.
The two-game series concludes on Wednesday, April 21 with a first pitch set for 4 p.m.
The non-conference foes traded runs and the lead in the first and third innings. A Kyle Blackburn (Marietta, Ga.) double down the right field line gave GS the early advantage when it plated Arthur Owens (Fayetteville, Ga.). To open the contest, Owens singled to the pitcher's mound and advanced a base on a Kevin Bowles (Statesboro, Ga.) groundout. The double from Blackburn followed to hand the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
But the home squad knotted the score in the bottom half of the frame. Jeff Rowland led off with a double to right for GT and a throwing error from right field allowed the junior to reach third. Rowland scored in the next at-bat on a single off the bat of Derek Dietrich. Eagle starter Matt Murray (Spring City, Pa.) worked his way out of a jam stranding Dietrich on third base with a fly out, pop up and groundout.
After a scoreless second, the teams tossed runs back-and-forth in the third when Randy J. Williams (Valdosta, Ga.) opened with another Eagle double. Owens followed with a single to right field moving Williams to third base who then scored when Bowles drilled a single back to the pitcher as the Eagles took a 2-1 lead.
A leadoff walk from Tony Plagman put the tying run on base in the bottom of the third for GT. Plagman reached second a Cole Leonida single and scored two batters later on a Chase Burnette single to right field. The Yellow Jackets ran their way out of the third inning when Leonida was caught stealing after a strikeout to end the inning with a double play.
A four-run fifth inning would seal the non-conference win for GT. Dietrich gave the Yellow Jackets the only run they would need for the win with a solo home run to right center to leadoff. GT manufactured its second run of the inning using a walk, single and fielder's choice for a 4-2 lead with one out. With one runner on base, Thomas Nichols launched Tech's second home run of the frame, a two-run shot to right field, for a 6-2 cushion. The inning closed in the next at-bat with a strikeout as both teams were held scoreless for the remainder of the contest.
GT starter Mark Pope (6-0) picked up the win throwing eight complete innings, allowing 10 hits and two runs. The sophomore walked only two batters, while striking out four. Eagle reliever Chris Beck (Jefferson, Ga.) drew the loss, falling to 2-4 after working 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on five hits with three strikeouts.
For the Eagles, both Blackburn and Owens went 2-for-4 for the only multi-hit tallies. Georgia Southern picked up its other six hits from Eric Phillips (Carrollton, Ga.), Victor Roache (Ypsilanti, Mich.), Michael Burruss (Marietta, Ga.), Shawn Payne (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Williams.
Dietrich went 2-for-4 for the Yellow Jackets who were out-hit by the Eagles 10-8.
The two-game series concludes on Wednesday, April 21 with a first pitch set for 4 p.m.
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