March 11, 2003
AUBURN, Ala. – Freshman Micah Owings pitched six strong innings and also hit a home run to lift top-ranked Georgia Tech (15-0) to a 4-2 victory over 10th-ranked Auburn (16-4) on Tuesday evening at Plainsman Park. Tyler Greene and Matt Murton each added home runs to pace the Yellow Jacket’s offensive attack as Tech built a 4-0 lead early and held off several late Auburn rallies.
Georgia Tech’s 15-game winning streak to open 2003 stands as the school’s second best mark to start a season. The Yellow Jackets set a school record with a 16-0 start in 1987. Tech’s current 15-game winning streak ties for the fourth longest streak in school history.
Making his second start of the season, Owings improved to 4-0 in four appearances in 2003. He held the Tigers to one run on five hits in six innings of work. He issued one walk and struck out a season-high seven batters. Jeff Watchko earned his third save of the season by recording the final four outs of the game, including working out of an eighth inning jam that saw the Tigers bring the tying run to the plate.
A solo home run from Greene, his fifth of the season, gave the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Murton blasted a two run homer, his fourth, to make the score 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning. A solo home run from Owings, his fifth of the year, made the score 4-0 in the fifth.
Auburn cut the lead to 4-1 when Clete Thomas led off the sixth inning with a double and scored on a two-out RBI double from Bobby Huddleston. The Tigers to within 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Huddleston delivered another two-out RBI double to score Sean Gamble from first.
The Tigers mounted one final rally in the bottom of the ninth inning when Josh Bell belted a leadoff double to left center field. But Watchko retired the next three batters to carry the Yellow Jackets to the victory.
Auburn starter Arnold Hughey (3-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in five innings of work.
Georgia Tech will return to action this weekend when the Yellow Jackets host Kent State for a three-game series beginning on Friday at 4 p.m. The series continues on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. each day. Live statistics for all three games in the series will be available on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com.
