March 16, 2003
ATLANTA – Reliever Andy Sonnastine worked 4.2 shutout innings and Joe Tucker drove in two runs to lead visiting Kent State (7-5) to a 5-3 win over Georgia Tech (17-1) and snap the Yellow Jackets’ record 17-game winning streak to open the season.
Kent State’s victory ended the Yellow Jackets’ longest winning streak in school history to open a season the day after the previous record of 16 straight wins was broken. Tech’s 17 game winning streak goes down as the third longest in school history, just three games off the overall school record of 20 straight wins in 1990.
Sonnastine (1-0) earned the win in relief after entering the game with the Golden Flashes trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning and allowed just two runners to reach base over the final 4.2 innings. He allowed two hits, both singles, and did not walk a batter while registering four strikeouts.
With the scored knotted at 3-3 after seven innings, the Golden Flashes broke through for two runs in the top of the eighth inning. A pair of one out singles from Kurt Eichorn and Matt Sega put runners on first and third bases, and Eric Holick was intentionally walked after Sega stole second base. With the bases loaded and one out, Tucker was hit by a pitch to score Eichorn with the first run of the inning before a RBI groundout from Chuck Moore drove in Sega with the second run of the inning.
Tech reliever Chris Goodman (1-1) took the loss after allowing four runs in 3.2 innings.
Tech built a 2-0 lead through the first two innings with a sacrifice fly from Matt Murton in the first and a solo home run from Mike Nickeas, his fourth of the season, in the second. Kent State tied the score at 2-2 with RBI groundouts from Holick in the fourth inning and Chad Kinyon in the fifth inning.
A RBI single from Clifton Remole gave the Yellow Jackets a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning but the Golden Flashes immediately tied the score at 3-3 when Eichorn singled and eventually scored on Tucker’s sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth inning.
The Yellow Jackets out hit the Golden Flashes, 9-8, including a season high three hits from Micah Owings. Eichorn and Sega both had two hits for Kent State.
Georgia Tech will return to action on Tuesday when the Yellow Jackets host 10th-ranked Auburn at 7 p.m. The game will be televised in the southeast on CSS (check local listings), while live statistics will be available on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com.
