April 14, 2004
ATLANTA – Freshman Josh Morris’ solo home run broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth inning and lifted Georgia (21-13) to a 6-5 win over Georgia Tech (20-15) on Wednesday night at Russ Chandler Stadium. The Bulldogs’ win even the season series at one win apiece with the final game between the two teams scheduled for May 11 at Turner Field.
Morris broke the tie and gave the Bulldogs a 6-5 lead when he led off the eighth inning with an opposite field home run, his team-leading 13th of the year. From there, Georgia reliever Will Startup worked scoreless eighth and ninth innings to preserve the lead and record his sixth save of the season.
Tech mounted a rally in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs on a single, double and walk, but Startup worked out of the jam by striking out Mike Nickeas to end the inning. Startup retired the side in order in the ninth inning to close out the game.
The Yellow Jackets left 13 runners on base in the game, while Georgia stranded just three.
Bo Lanier (2-1) earned the win in relief, working 2.2 shutout innings and allowing just one hit while striking out three.
Tech’s Brian Burks (2-4) took the loss in his first relief appearance of the year despite allowing just two hits in three innings.
Eric Patterson single-handedly staked the Yellow Jackets to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when he walked, stole second and third bases, and scored on a wild pitch. The Bulldogs answered with three unearned runs, including a two-run double from Clint Sammons, to take a 3-1 lead in the top of the second.
Tech cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the third inning when the Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with two outs and Steven Blackwood drew a walk that scored Micah Owings.
Georgia’s Joey Side singled and scored on Derek Smith’s RBI double to make the score 4-2 in the top of the fourth inning. Kyle Keen was hit by a pitch and scored on Justin Holmes’ sacrifice fly to extend the Bulldog’s lead to 5-2 in the fifth.
Tech answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the score at 5-5. The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with one out, and Brandon Boggs scored on a wild pitch before Whit Robbins drove in Blackwood and Tyler Greene with a two-run single.
Blackwood and Clifton Remole each extended their hitting streaks to a season-long 11 games. Georgia pitchers walked a season-high 10 batters in the game but the Bulldogs held the Yellow Jackets to under seven runs for the first time in 11 games.
Neither starter figured in the decision. Tech freshman Blake Wood worked a career-long 3.1 innings and allowing just one earned run. Georgia’s Johnny Dobbs worked three innings and allowed two runs.
Georgia Tech will host Washington for a three-game series this weekend at Russ Chandler Stadium. Game times are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Georgia travels to Baton Rouge for a three-game SEC series at LSU this weekend.
