Georgia Stifles #20 Clemson 9-3 Tuesday at Foley Field

April 22, 2003

Athens, GA –

Georgia scored three runs in the first and six runs in the fourth to defeat #20 Clemson 9-3 Tuesday in front of 2,091 fans at Foley Field. Clemson, who defeated the Bulldogs 7-3 on March 26, lost its fourth-straight game at Foley Field. Georgia improved to 20-20, while Clemson fell to 27-13.

Bulldog righthander Michael Hyle (4-0) pitched 5.0 innings, allowing just one run on four hits to earn the victory. Tiger starter Kris Harvey (3-1) suffered his first collegiate loss.

Georgia took an early lead in the first inning when Jasha Balcom walked and David Coffey hit a double to the left-field gap, plating Balcom. After Lee Mitchell walked, Jon Armitage blooped a 1-2 pitch to left field to load the bases with no outs. Again on a 1-2 pitch, Justin McClain followed with a deep fly-ball out to right-center to plate Coffey. After Georgia loaded the bases again, Clint Sammons was hit-by-pitch to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.

Georgia took a 9-0 lead in the fourth inning thanks to six runs. After the Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out, Lee Mitchell grounded a ball passed the third-base bag that home-plate umpire Steve Manders ruled fair, allowing three runners to score. Armitage followed with another double, this time down the right-field line to score a run. Armitage led the Bulldogs with three hits in four at bats. McClain then came up and brought home Armitage when the Tigers booted a grounder. Two batters later, Josh Smith hit a blooper to centerfield that Kyle Frank misjudged, allowing McClain to score.

Clemson finally got on the board in the fifth inning. Zane Green hit a one-out double to the wall in right-center and scored two batters later when Steve Pyzik doubled down the left-field line.

In the sixth inning, Clemson cut further into the Bulldog lead when McCann hit a towering two-run homer to left-center, his team-leading eighth of the year. Seven of the eight homers by the former Georgia signee have come away from home.

Clemson will return to home Wednesday when it plays host to East Tennessee State at 7:15 PM. It will be the first of 12 home games in a 13-game stretch for the Tigers.