ATLANTA (March 18) – Junior catcher Bryan Prince went 4-for-4 and drove in four runs as No. 24 Georgia Tech defeated second-ranked North Carolina for the second straight day, by a 16-3 count on Saturday afternoon, March 18.
The sixteen runs posted by the Jackets were the most that Tech has scored in its long history against Carolina, topping a fifteen run output in the opening round of last year’s ACC Tournament, a 15-4 Tech win.
The victory by the Jackets (14-6, 2-0 ACC) was its fifth in a row overall, and fifth in a row against the Tar Heels dating back to last season.
North Carolina (21-2, 0-2 ACC) looked to have gotten off to a solid start, having plated runs in the first and second innings, and having knocked Tech starting pitcher Steve Kelly out after just a third of an inning.
With the Tar Heels leading 3-1 in the bottom of the third, the Tech firestorm began, as an RBI single by Prince and a two-run double by Wes Rynders gave the Jackets the lead for good at 4-3.
Tech added a run in the fourth to build its lead to 5-3, before blowing the game open in the fifth, with six runs, keyed by a three-run home run by Richard Lewis and a two-run home run by Prince to increase the Jackets’ lead to 11-3. Lewis finished the game with a career-high 5 RBI.
The Jackets plated five more runs in the bottom of the seventh to provide the final 16-3 margin.
Sophomore right-hander Rhett Parrott (3-1) got the win for Tech. Parrott came on in relief of Kelly with the bases loaded and one out in the first and forced an inning-ending double play to hold UNC to just a single run. Parrott allowed just two runs and eight hits over 5-1/3 innings while picking up the win.
Junior southpaw Eric Henderson (4-1) took the loss for Carolina, having allowed five runs and five hits in his three innings of work.
The two teams will wrap up their three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The game is scheduled to be broadcast by Fox Sports Net South.
