May 27, 2006
ACC Baseball Championship
May 27, 2006
Georgia Tech 8, Clemson 7 (10)
Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall
Opening statement
Crazy, crazy game. It looked like a game we had a good chance to lose heading into the ninth inning, but three big hits in a row by (Jeff) Kindel to start the inning, and then (Whit) Robbins clubbed a double and (Luke) Murton got the hit and then (Ryan) Tinkoff, even though he hit into a double play, got the run in to at least tie it. And then in the 10th, we got the leadoff guy on, and then obviously a big hit by (Michael) Fisher, then the hit batter on (Steven) Blackwood forced us into a bunt situation. Wally (Crancer) executed the play to perfection. They were crashing or wheeling the shortstop to third and we practice it but we’ve never had to use it this year in a game, but he executed the play to perfection and obviously won the game for us. I’m very proud of the way our guys battled. We used a lot of pitching, obviously, just trying to win the game and had some key hits and all of those guys at times contributed some big pitches.
On Georgia Tech’s success this season against Clemson’s Daniel Moskos
I think that guy’s very good. I think that guy’s very good, I think he’s got great stuff. I think we’ve had some very good at bats on him and he hasn’t executed his pitches as good as he would like. I think that guy’s very talented and has great stuff.
On the play in the top of the 10th in which Clemson didn’t score from third on a fly ball to center
I think they probably thought it was just a little bit too shallow. I honestly thought he’d (Stan Widmann) probably be coming.
On the possibility of getting a national seed in the NCAA Tournament
If you’re asking me, I’d say we’ve earned a national seed. Like I said, I don’t have a vote on that committee. You play in this league and you play in this tournament, and win as many games as this team has won, I think you’re very deserving of a national seed.
On Clemson’s recent hot streak
I think they’re hot. I think they’re extremely hot. We played a one-run game with them the other night and played another one-run game, extra inning game, with them today, so I think they have a great team. They’ve got great pitching, they’ve got a lot of depth in their bullpen, a lot of good hitters. It’s no fluke that they’ve won as many games as they have. They’re very good.
Georgia Tech freshman 2B Ryan Tinkoff
On facing Moskos
I had actually faced that guy before, when we played Clemson at home, so I wasn’t too intimidated by him. I didn’t really have many at bats from the right side of the plate. I just wanted to hit a fastball and just do what I could. I didn’t want to try to do too much, I was thinking to myself if I hit into a double play at least a run comes home and I trust our offense enough that we’d come back and we’d score a run and win the game. I just didn’t want to try and do too much and just stay within myself.
On the welcome he received when he reached the dugout after hitting into the double play that tied the game
That was probably the best double play I’ve ever hit into in my life.
Georgia Tech junior RF Waller Crancer
On getting a walk-off win against Clemson after the Tigers did the same thing on Thursday
A walk-off is always good against any team, no matter what. I mean it’s the last at bat and it wins the game. Against a team like this, they beat us in a close game the other day and it’s always good to get back at them and beat them in a close game. Hopefully we’ll take some of that momentum and take it into the game tonight and try to get out of here with a W and come back tomorrow and try to win this thing.
On his slash play that won the game
There wasn’t really a slash sign. I’m sure Coach wishes he’d put it on, just so he could say he did, but he gave me the bunt. I always show early, and they have to do something. They couldn’t go down second and third with one out, so I figured they must have some sort of motion play on, so I was looking for it. I saw the shortstop break to third, which means the third baseman’s coming, and I just got a pitch out over the plate and I tried to chop it and it worked out perfect, caught the line.
On the momentum this win creates
I’d say right now we’ve got the momentum, but they could turn it in one inning. Momentum’s not going to win the game for us tonight. We’ve just got to go out there and play the game like we know how to play. If momentum catches on our side, then good for us, but we can overcome it if it goes the other way. We’ve just got to go out there and play hard and play our game.
Clemson head coach Jack Leggett
It was a tough ballgame to lose, but we have to bounce back. We have a two-hour recovery time, we have to come back and be ready to play tonight, that’s all there is to it. We had plenty of chances in that ballgame to break it open. We got a few clutch hits when we had to and put ourselves in a position to win but we left far to may men on base early in the game and that was probably the story of it.
I really think the story of that game today was we did what we had to do except we just didn’t hit with men on base early in that ballgame. We had opportunities; we had men on base we just didn’t pick up a big hit here and there when we thought we could open it up.
On Georgia Tech being a potential top eight seed
They’re a good baseball team and the committee makes those decisions based on where they finish in the conference and all of those sorts of things. I really couldn’t tell you.
On snapping a 17-game winning streak
We’ve been playing well so I’m not going to push the panic button when we lose a ball game. They’re a good baseball team and they came back and did what they had to do in the bottom of the ninth. You have to give them credit for that, but we’ll be ready to play at 9:15 and we’ll be back here ready to battle. I think if we go out there and pitch well, we certainly have a chance to win that ballgame.
