Big Fifth Inning Propels Georgia Tech to 15-6 Win Over Clemson

May 5, 2002

ATLANTA, GA – Ninth-ranked Georgia Tech scored seven runs with two outs in the fifth inning on its way to a 15-6 victory over top-ranked Clemson on Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium. The Yellow Jackets improved to 37-10 (10-8 ACC) while dropping Clemson to 39-7 (13-4 ACC).

Georgia Tech loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth when Matt Henrie induced a grounder that third baseman Baker turned into a force at the plate. Tyler Lumsden then entered the game and struck out Jason Perry for the second out of the inning before yielding four runs. The freshman lefthander hit Tyler Parker and then walked Brandon Boggs, Mike Nickeas and Matthew Boggs when Patrick Hogan relieved him. Eric Patterson hit a line drive off of Hogan’s chest to score another run and Victor Menocal hit a two-run single to right that capped the seven-run inning for Georgia Tech.

The Tigers added single runs in the seventh and eighth inning to cut into the lead, but Parker hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to make the final margin 15-6.

Brian Burks (9-3) got the win for Georgia Tech. The righthander allowed four earned runs and 11 hits over six innings. Henrie (9-2) picked up his second loss of the season for Clemson. He pitched 4.1 innings and allowed seven runs, although three of the runs came after he was relieved.

Khalil Greene picked up where he left off Saturday night by homering in his first at bat, his 15th long ball of the year that gave the Tigers an early 1-0 lead. Georgia Tech answered with a two-out rally in the bottom of the first. After Jeremy Slayden was hit by a pitch, Georgia Tech reeled off three straight hits. Matt Murton’s single to right was followed by Jason Perry’s two-run double off the fence in left center. Tyler Parker’s single up the middle capped the scoring and put the Yellow Jackets on top 3-1.

Clemson got one run back in the second inning with David Slevin’s RBI-single to left. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the third inning but came away with no runs after Jarrod Schmidt grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

Perry struck again in the fourth with a leadoff home run to right field to extend the lead to 4-2 before Clemson tied it in the fifth. L.J. DeMaino and Kyle Frank led off with singles and Greene, who extended his hitting streak to 12 games earlier, singled in a run. Frank scored on a grolundout by Jeff Baker for the first out of the inning, but the offense stranded two runners after plating the two runs.

Greene and Baker each had three hits to lead the offense. Six Tech batters had at least two hits, paced by Parker’s 3-4 performance and team-high five RBIs.

The two teams will square off in the rubber game Monday night at 7:00 PM.