April 21, 2015
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TECH STARTERS: Spingola/CF, Bailey/2B, Gonzalez/LF, Murray/C, Johnson/DH, Innis/RF, Justus/SS, Smith/1B, Gold/3B, Parr/SP.
KSU STARTERS: Greeson/CF, Nixon/2B, Simmons/SS, McGowan/1B, Morgan/C, Bennett/DH, Helms/LF, Liqouri/RF, Howell/3B, Erwin/P.
THE BASICS:
· A.J. Murray launched a pair of two-run home runs, but Kennesaw State beat Georgia Tech 11-6 on Tuesday night at Russ Chandler Stadium in Atlanta.
· Tech led 3-1 before a seven-run, four-error frame in the top of the sixth gave the Owls the lead for good.
· Tech fell to 24-16 overall, while KSU improved to 22-18.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
· The first of Murray’s two home runs gave the Yellow Jackets’ a 2-0 lead in the first inning — a two-out, two-run blast to right.
· KSU got one back in the fourth, but Tech regained its two-run lead when Thomas Smith slashed a two-out RBI single through the right side to score Keenan Innis.
· The Yellow Jackets were undone by four errors during KSU’s seven-run sixth inning. The lone hit in the inning was an RBI double from Colin Bennett. Five of the seven runs that inning were unearned.
· Tech struck for three runs in the eighth, cutting the margin to 8-6. Matt Gonzalez had a an RBI single and Murray followed with his second two-run blast of the game — a towering shot to deep right-center, but that’s as close as the Jackets would get.
· KSU got those three runs back in the ninth to cap the scoring.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
· Innis and Daniel Spingola were each 3-for-5, while Murray and Smith had two hits apiece.
· It was the first career two-homer game for Murray, who leads the Jackets with nine this season (18 in his career).
· Murray becomes the first Jacket to hit two home runs in a game since Daniel Palka versus Coastal Carolina on May 5, 2013 at Russ Chandler Stadium.
· KSU starter Chris Erwin, who dodged trouble in the second and third innings by stranding the bases loaded both times, would earn the win. He allowed nine hits and three runs in five innings to improve to 4-2.
· The loss fell to Tech’s Ben Parr, who pitched five innings and yielded four runs (two earned) with four strikeouts, but fell to 5-2.
· The loss was the Jackets’ first this season to an in-state opponent (6-1).
· Tech out-hit Kennesaw State 13-11, but left 11 runners stranded in the game.
UP NEXT: The Yellow Jackets host Clemson in a key ACC series this weekend at Russ Chandler Stadium. Friday’s series-opener is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN3.
