June 3, 2006
NCAA ATLANTA REGIONAL, GAME 2, JUNE 3, 2006
Georgia Tech 7, Stetson 5
Danny Hall, Georgia Tech * Head Coach
“I am glad we got the win. I think we beat a very good team, a scrappy team that battled us all the way to the end. We had two homeruns early that gave us a jump start.”
“I think Blake (Wood) pitched outstanding, got a little tired near the end. It was a crazy eighth inning, we allowed them to get back into the game. Matt (Weiters) made some big pitches in the ninth to get us out of trouble.”
Blake Wood, Georgia Tech * RHP
“Early I was kind of struggling with my location. I felt like I couldn’t throw my fastball where I wanted to. After the play at home, I started to settle in a little bit but got a little gassed that last inning.”
Brad Rulon, Georgia Tech * RHP
“Blake did a good job for us. I came in looking to throw strikes. I got a good call and struck him out. I threw a breaking ball on the pitch I struck him out on.”
Michael Fisher, Georgia Tech * SS
(On grand slam) “Earlier coach Hall said to stay off the high pitches and I accidentally didn’t do that. Early in the year I just was hitting them to the warning track so it felt good to finally hit one out.”
On the wind blowing out
“Some people were saying so and the swing was feeling pretty good and I just got one.”
Matt Weiters, Georgia Tech * C/RHP
“I thought that shot (home run) was going further than the right fielder was making it look. I did not know if it was going out but the right fielder made it look like it was going to be a routine fly ball. I thought I hit it a little better than that.”
On giving up double in ninth
“I got ahead of him and pitched around the strike zone a little bit and decided to come at him on the 2-2 pitch. He just hit a double to right center.”
Stetson Head coach Pete Dunn:
“We squandered too many opportunities early. We matched five-run innings, but we were never able to put a couple runs on the board early. We had the opportunity but we just didn’t get it done. You always worry that that’s going to come back and haunt you.
“But once it got to be 7-0 our kids didn’t quit. Nery came in and did just a tremendous job. Kluber had good stuff, he just didn’t have good command and that was the difference. He got a pitch up with the bases loaded and Fisher hit it out. He had good stuff when he was in the zone. Robbie came in and got the strikeout.
We had a shot but we just didn’t get it done. Those men left on base early came back to haunt us. We got to get after it again and get a ‘W’ and come back tomorrow. Our kids are disappointed, but I think they will come out hard in this game and play well.”