#6 Georgia Tech Outslugs Clemson 18-14 in Game One Friday

April 29, 2005

Clemson, SC –

The sixth-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets overcame an 8-1 deficit after three innings and defeated Clemson 18-14 in front of 4,957 fans at Doug Kingsmore Stadium Friday. The Yellow Jackets improved to 31-11 (17-5 ACC), while the Tigers dropped to 27-17 (12-7 ACC).

Lee Hyde (6-2) earned the win for Georgia Tech despite giving up 11 runs (eight earned) and 10 hits. Matt Wieters pitched 2.0 innings to earn his fifth save of the year. Daniel Moskos (1-2) suffered the loss for the Tigers.

Eight different Yellow Jackets had at least two hits in the game. Wieters, Wes Hodges, Jeff Kindel, Andy Hawranick, and Mike Trapani all had three hits, as Georgia Tech totaled 21 on the night. Four different Tigers had multi-hit games, and Kris Harvey and Andy D’Alessio each had three hits and a long ball.

Clemson wasted little time scoring in the first. Kris Harvey laced a two-RBI single through the middle. Travis Storrer had a sacrifice bunt, and Stan Widmann followed with a sacrifice fly to score Colvin. The four runs tied a first-inning high this season for the Tigers.

Georgia Tech answered in the second. Matt Wieters hit a triple to right and scored on Jeremy Slayden’s RBI single to left.

Harbin led off the third with a single, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Colvin. Harvey singled, and Storrer laced a line drive to left that Steven Blackwood charged, and then could not recover as the ball went over his head for a double, scoring Harbin and Harvey. Widmann reached on an error, and Andy D’Alessio singled through the right side to score Storrer. Adrian Casanova’s sacrifice bunt scored Widmann.

The Yellow Jackets again answered a Clemson score in the fourth. Jeff Kindel doubled off the fence in center to score Slayden with two outs, and Andy Hawranick followed with an RBI double of his own. Hawranick scored Georgia Tech’s third run of the inning on a wild pitch.

Georgia Tech continued to battle back in the fifth. Tyler Greene began the inning with an infield single and moved to third on a failed pick off attempt by Clemson starting pitcher Stephen Faris. Greene scored on a single by Blackwood, and a two-out single by Wes Hodges scored Blackwood.

Harvey led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to right-center, his ACC-leading 17th of the year. It was the fourth consecutive game Harvey homered, and sixth time in the last seven games he hit a roundtripper. Widmann had a bunt single with one out, and was followed by D’Alessio’s towering home run to right-center, his ninth of the season.

Faris left the game in the sixth with one out, and runners on second and third. Reliever Daniel Moskos was greeted with three singles in a row by Slayden, Hodges, and Kindel that gave Georgia Tech its first lead of the night, 12-11. Josh Cribb then entered the game, and after an error by Widmann, Cribb hit Trapani to bring in another run. Danny Payne walked to score another run before Greene grounded into a double play. Georgia Tech scored eight runs in the inning.

Storrer led off the seventh with a walk, and then on an 0-2 pitch, Widmann homered to left, bringing the Tigers within one run at 14-13. Pinch-hitter Jesse Ferguson and Demmink both walked, and after Chalk hit into a fielder’s choice, runners were on the corners with two outs. Georgia Tech went to reliever Jordan Crews, and Harbin flew out to the warning track, barely missing a home run.

Trapani tripled with one out in the eighth and scored on Payne’s two-strike suicide squeeze bunt.

Georgia Tech added three insurance runs in the ninth, as the Yellow Jackets took their biggest lead of five runs.

D’Alessio led off the ninth with a double and scored on Demmink’s one-out single up the middle. Chalk then lined out to right, and Harbin grounded out to end the game.

The two teams continue their three-game series Saturday at 7:00 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. The game will be televised live by CSS.