March 27, 2007
ATLANTA – Eddie Burns posted a career-high 10 strikeouts while Danny Payne and Michael Fisher each recorded three hits to lead Georgia Tech (15-11) to a 10-2 victory over Georgia Southern (16-13) Tuesday evening in the series opener at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Burns (2-1) held the Eagles to just two runs, only one of which was earned, on seven hits in eight innings of work before Will Hirsch closed out the game with a perfect 1-2-3 ninth inning.
Payne and Fisher both had 3-for-5 performances on the night, with Payne scoring two runs and driving in one while Fisher drove in two runs and scored another. Luke Murton and Patrick Long each went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI against the Eagles.
The Jackets jumped on the Eagles early, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning on RBI singles by Fisher and Matt Wieters to take a 2-0 lead. Payne, Murton, Fisher and Wieters tallied four-straight hits to lead off the inning before Georgia Southern starter Josh Lairsey recorded an out on a sacrifice bunt by Wally Crancer.
Patrick Long singled to lead off the second inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice by Nick Scherer, and scored on an RBI single by Payne to push the Jackets’ lead to 3-0 before the Eagles scored in the top of the third on an RBI single by Mike Economos, which plated Matt Miller and pulled Georgia Southern to within two runs, 3-1.
After GSU first baseman Jeremiah Parker reached base on a fielding error and scored on an RBI double by Brian Pierce in the top of the fourth inning, Tech answered with a run in the bottom of the frame to push the score to 4-2. With runners on first and second, Murton executed a hit-and-run with a two-out single through the left side which scored Patrick Long, who had reached earlier on a fielder’s choice.
Tech extended its lead to 5-2 in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Jeff Ussery before exploding for five runs in the sixth to push the score to 10-2 for the final eight-run margin. The inning was highlighted by a pair of RBI singles by Fisher and Long, a sacrifice fly by Crancer and a triple by Payne.
The Jackets and Eagles conclude the midweek series Wednesday afternoon in a 3 p.m. game that is scheduled to be broadcast on SportsSouth. Tech will look to even the season series with the Eagles, as the Jackets are now 1-2 vs. Georgia Southern in 2007.
Lairsey (0-1) took the loss for Georgia Southern, giving up five runs on seven hits in four innings of work.
The game can also be heard on WREK-Radio (91.1 FM/www.wrek.org) while live stats will be available at www.ramblinwreck.com.
