March 23, 2005
ATLANTA – Auburn (17-7) scored four unanswered runs over the final four innings to rally for a 7-6, 11-inning win over No. 4 Georgia Tech (19-3) on Wednesday evening at Russ Chandler Stadium. The loss snapped the Yellow Jackets 12-game winning streak.
Trailing 6-4 after eight and a half innings, the Tigers scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game. Philip Stringer singled and Russell Dixon walked before Tyler Johnston tied the game with a triple into the right field corner. Tech relievers Tim Ladd and Matt Wieters came out of the bullpen to prevent any further scoring. Ladd struck out the next two batters and Wieters struck out Josh Bell, who had two home runs in the game, for the third out of the inning.
The Tigers broke the tie in the top of the 11th inning. Josh Donaldson led off the inning with a single, took second base on a sacrifice bunt, moved to third on a groundout and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out wild pitch.
Auburn reliever Michael Nix (3-1), one of six Tiger pitchers in the game, earned the win by working shutout four innings. Nix allowed one hit and issued two walks while striking out five. Nix teamed with relievers Grant Cardwell and John Madden to hold the Yellow Jackets to two hits over the final six innings.
Wieters (1-1) took the loss after allowing the game winning run to score on the wild pitch.
The Yellow Jackets had a scoring opportunity in the bottom of the 10th inning end on a strike out-throw out double play. Tech had four runners put out at third base or home plate in the game
Bell went 2-for-3 with two home runs, his third and fourth of the year, and drove in three runs. Stringer and Johnstone had three hits each.
A two-out RBI single from Stringer gave Auburn a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but Georgia Tech responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning to make the score 5-1. Wieters opened the scoring with a his third home run of the year, a two-run shot, Wes Hodges drove in two runs with a single and Tyler Greene added a RBI single.
A two-run homer from Bell pulled the Tigers within 5-3 in the top of the fourth. Tech’s Danny Payne answered with a RBI single in the bottom of the inning to make the score 6-3.
Bell’s second home run of the game, a solo shot in the eighth, pulled Auburn to within two runs at 6-4.
Tech starter Ryan Turner worked six innings and allowed three runs but did not figure in the decision.
Georgia Tech visits Miami for a three-game ACC series this weekend in Coral Gables. The series begins Friday at 7 p.m., and the game will be televised by CSS.
