March 20, 2005
ATLANTA – Tyler Greene’s walk-off RBI single capped a three-run ninth inning rally and lifted No. 5 Georgia Tech (19-2, 9-0 ACC) to a 11-10 win and three-game sweep of NC State (15-8, 3-6 ACC) on Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets extended their ACC-record conference win streak to 25 games and Tech swept its eighth straight conference series.
Trailing 10-8, the Yellow Jackets rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for the comeback victory. Consecutive singles from Jeremy Slayden and Jeff Kindel put runners at first and third bases with no outs before a double from Matt Wieters pulled Tech to within 10-9 and chased NC State reliever Joey Devine (1-1) from the game.
A groundout and an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. Danny Payne, who had struck out four times in four at bats, delivered a RBI single to right field that tied the game. Greene lined a ball off the base of the right field wall for the game winning hit.
Devine had shut down the Jackets for 3.2 innings before faltering in the nine. Tech reliever Jordan Crews (1-1) earned the win despite allowing a run in the top of the ninth inning.
Wes Hodges had three hits as Tech outhit NC State, 14-12. Steven Blackwood went 2-for-2 with three walks, while Greene, Slayden and Wieters added two hits each.
Blackwood staked the Yellow Jackets to a 1-0 lead in the first inning with his third home run of the year, but the Wolfpack stormed back with three runs in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs before Jake Muyco worked a walk to drive in the first run of the inning. Chris Engle hit a ground ball that was misplayed by Greene at shortstop and led to two unearned runs.
The teams traded solo home runs in the fourth inning to make the score 4-2. Bryan Aragon hit his second of the year in the top of the inning and Slayden hit his seventh of the season in the bottom of the frame.
A single from pinch hitter Jason St. Julien gave NC State a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth before Georgia Tech erupted for six runs in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead, 8-5. Blackwood and Wes Hodges had consecutive RBI singles, Jeff Kindel drew a bases loaded walk, Matt Wieters had a RBI groundout and Andy Hawranick delivered a two-run single.
The Wolfpack answered with three runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 8-8. NC State loaded the bases with no outs on two infield hits and a walk, before Matt Devine had a RBI groundout and Lee Mezistrano hit a ground rule double down the left field line and into the bullpen to tie the game.
A solo home run from Aragon, his second of the game and third of the year, off Tech reliever Brad Rulon gave NC State a 9-8 lead in the top of the seventh. The Wolfpack added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Muyco led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second base on a balk, took third on a groundout and scored on Aaron Cone’s pinch hit RBI single.
From there, Devine made the narrow lead hold up as Tech managed just three baserunners from the sixth through the eighth before the Yellow Jackets mounted their ninth inning rally.
Both starting pitchers were chased in the fifth inning. Tech’s Blake Wood worked 4.1 innings and allowed five runs, while NC State’s Gib Hobson went four-plus innings and surrendered four runs.
Aragon finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and Mezistrano added three hits and two RBI.
Georgia Tech hosts Auburn on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game will be televised live by FSN South.
