March 19, 2002
ATLANTA – Senior Victor Menocal went 4-for-4 while earning his first career save to lead 12th-ranked Georgia Tech (15-3) over Eastern Kentucky, 6-5, on Tuesday evening at Russ Chandler Stadium. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Yellow Jackets and improved their record to 10-0 at their new home park.
Trailing 5-2 after five and a half innings, Georgia Tech rallied by scoring four times to take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. After getting hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Eric Patterson stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and then scored on a throwing error by catcher Phil Robertson. Tech then plated two runs on five consecutive singles including RBI hits from Jeremy Slayden and Jason Perry. Slayden scored the fourth run of the inning on a double play ground ball.
The Colonels (2-12) had taken a 5-2 lead in the top half of the sixth on a three-run homer from Will Whisenant, his first of the season.
Tech got scoreless relief from Nick Wagner and Jeff Kindel into the ninth inning before Eastern Kentucky loaded the bases with nobody out against Kindel on a pair of hits and a walk. Menocal relieved Kindel, struck out Neil Sellers on a 3-2 fastball and then got Robertson to ground into a game-ending double play.
Brian Burks (5-1) scattered nine hits over six innings to earn the win, despite giving up all five runs. Eastern Kentucky reliever Nic Lively (0-3) gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning and took the loss.
Tech Freshman Jeremy Slayden went 3-for-5 with two runs batted in for the Jackets, while Tyler Parker and Perry added two hits and an RBI apiece.
Georgia Tech and Eastern Kentucky will conclude the two-game series at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Live scoring for the game will be available at www.ramblinwreck.com.
