April 16, 2006
ATLANTA – Wes Hodges homered and drove in a career-high seven runs to lead a 21-hit attack as No. 10 Georgia Tech (28-9, 10-8 ACC) defeated No. 5 Clemson (27-10, 10-5), 22-4, on Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets clinched the three games series, two games to one. After dropping a 7-6 decision in the series opener on Friday night, Tech won the final two games by a combined score of 34-7.
Tech’s 22 runs were the most scored in the 186-game series with Clemson, eclipsing a 21-run effort in 1956. The Yellow Jackets’ 21 hits included three home runs, seven doubles and 11 singles.
A day after driving in a career-high six runs, Hodges had seven RBI on a home run and two doubles.
Fifteen different Yellow Jackets had at least one hit in the game. Luke Murton drove in three runs on two hits, Matt Wieters had two hits, and Wally Crancer and Brad Feltes had pinch-hit home runs.
Georgia Tech starter David Duncan (4-1) worked six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits to earn his second win in as many starts. He issued two walks and struck out five batters.
Clemson’s Travis Storrer hit two home runs.
The Yellow Jackets struck for a 6-0 lead in the first inning, sending 10 batters to the plate and getting six hits in the inning. Danny Payne doubled and Steven Blackwood singled to lead off the inning, and Wieters followed with a RBI single. After a walk loaded the bases, Whit Robbins followed with a sacrifice fly, Hodges had a two-run double and Murton added a RBI single. Murton scored the sixth run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Storrer hit a two-run homer to make the score 6-2 in the second inning.
Tech added three runs in the bottom of the second inning to extend the lead to 9-2. Blackwood and Wieters drew walks to lead off the inning, and after the next two batters made outs, Hodges delivered a RBI double and Murton had a two-run double.
Hodges hit a three-run homer, his ninth of the year and second in as many games, to give the Yellow Jackets a 12-2 lead in the fourth inning.
The Jackets added two runs in the fifth inning, including a RBI groundout from Hodges, to extend the lead to 14-2.
Storrer hit a solo home run, his fourth of the season, in the sixth inning and Taylor Colvin had a RBI groundout on the seventh inning to make the score 14-4.
Tech added eight runs in the eighth inning to provide the final 22-4 margin. Crancer hit a two-run homer, his fourth of the year, and Feltes hit a three-run homer, his first of the season, while Jason Haniger and Russell Harben added RBI singles.
Clemson starter Stephen Faris (4-1) allowed six runs on six hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Georgia Tech visits Georgia State on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before opening a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at Florida State on Friday.
