May 8, 2005
ATLANTA – Brandon Kloess and Mike Crotta combined on a four-hit shutout to lead Florida Atlantic (27-18) to a 2-0 win over No. 6 Georgia Tech (34-13) on Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Florida Atlantic salvaged the final game of the series after Tech won on Friday and Saturday nights. The Yellow Jackets were shut out at home for the first time since March 3, 1998, and for only the second time in 417 home games under 12th-year head coach Danny Hall.
Kloess (7-2) worked 6.2 shutout innings, holding the Yellow Jackets to four hits. He issued six walks and struck out six, and allowed just four Tech runners to advance past first base.
Crotta earned his first save of the season, working 2.2 scoreless and hitless innings to close out the game. He allowed just one baserunner, coming on a walk, and struck out four.
The Yellow Jackets were held to four hits, tying a season-low, but walked seven times. Florida Atlantic outhit Georgia Tech, 10-4.
Tech starter Ryan Turner (5-2) was the tough-luck loser despite a strong effort. The left-hander worked 5.1 innings and allowed one run on seven hits. Reliever Tim Gustafson worked 3.2 innings, allowing one run on three hits.
Turner and Kloess traded zeroes through the first five innings with neither pitcher allowing a runner to advance past second base.
The Yellow Jackets had a scoring opportunity in the fifth inning when Danny Payne attempted to score from second base on Tyler Greene’s two-out single, but FAU center fielder Tim Mascia made a perfect throw to put out Payne at home plate.
Florida Atlantic broke through in the sixth inning to take a 1-0 lead. Singles from Robbie Widlansky and Mike McKenna put runners on first and third bases with one out before Widlansky scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch from Turner. A walk and an infield single loaded the bases with one out, but Tech reliever Tim Gustafson escaped the jam when McKenna was tagged out on a missed squeeze bunt and Derek Hutton struck out.
Tech failed to capitalize on another scoring opportunity in the seventh inning as the game remained 1-0. A double from Whit Robbins and a walk to Payne chased Kloess from the game. After the runners advanced to second and third bases on a wild pitch, Crotta worked out of the jam by striking out Greene and retiring Steven Blackwood on a line out to end the inning.
Florida Atlantic added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning on a solo home run from Daniel Terpak, his first of the year and only his fourth hit of the season.
Georgia Tech hosts Coastal Carolina on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
