March 6, 2005
DURHAM, N.C. – Freshman Matt Wieters went 5-for-5, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs to lead No. 13 Georgia Tech (11-2, 3-0 ACC) to a 19-3 win and three-game series sweep of Duke (6-11, 0-3) on Sunday afternoon at Jack Coombs Field.
The Yellow Jackets won their school-record 19th straight ACC contest dating back to the 2004 season. Tech’s 19-straight league wins ranks as the third longest streak in ACC history, two wins short of the conference record.
Tech recorded its sixth consecutive ACC regular season series sweep.
Tech starter Blake Wood (3-0) worked six strong innings to earn the win. The right-hander held the Blue Devils to one unearned run on six hits and two walks while striking out six. Brad Rulon and Ryan Turner each worked a scoreless inning in relief.
Wieters had three singles, a double and a home run in his five plate appearances. He finished the three-game series with 12 hits in 14 at bats.
Michael Fisher went 3-for-6 with his first career home run and drove in three runs, and Danny Payne went 3-for-6 with a home run and four RBI. Whit Robbins went 3-for-5 while Mike Trapani and Jeremy Slayden added two hits apiece as the Yellow Jackets had a season high 19 runs and 23 hits.
The Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the first when Payne singled and scored on a wild pitch, and a two-run homer from Payne highlighted a four-run third inning that made the score 5-0.
Tech erupted for eight runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by Wieters’ grand slam and a solo home run from Fisher, to take a 13-1 lead. The Jackets send 11 batters to the plate and eight of the nine hitters in the order scored a run in the inning.
Two runs in the fifth inning, including Greene’s third home run of the year, made the score 15-1. A RBI double from Fisher gave Tech a 16-1 lead in the sixth. Brad Feltes had a RBI double in the eighth and Payne had a two-run single in the ninth gave Tech a 19-1 lead.
The Blue Devils scored two runs in the ninth off Tech reliever Brian Futral to provide the final 19-3 margin.
Duke starter Danny Otero (2-3) took the loss, allowing nine runs and throwing 93 pitches in 3.1 innings.
Georgia Tech returns to Atlanta to host William & Mary on Tuesday and Georgia Southern on Wednesday at 4 p.m. each day.
