March 5, 2008
ATLANTA – Brad Feltes broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning and Jay Dantzler added another run with a sacrifice fly to lead No. 19 Georgia Tech (9-1) to a 5-3 win over Kennesaw State (5-7) Wednesday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Feltes went 2-for-4 and had two RBI in the game. Freshmen Cole Leonida and Derek Dietrich each added two hits, and both had home runs in the game.
Yellow Jacket starter Brandon Cumpton tossed seven strong innings, giving up only two runs on five hits while striking out nine, but did not figure into the decision after the Owls tied the game in the top of the eighth inning. Andrew Robinson (2-0) picked up the win in relief and Chris Hicks earned his third save of the season.
Kennesaw State scored in the top of the first inning after Jacob Robbins earned a leadoff walk, stole second base, and scored on a double by Tyler Stubblefield. Dietrich’s home run, the second of his career, tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning.
Stubblefield doubled with two outs in the third inning and scored on an RBI single by Ric Bishop to push the score to 2-1, but Leonida evened the game in the bottom of the frame when he knocked a solo home run, the first hit of his collegiate career, over the right field wall.
Tech took its first lead of the game in the fourth inning when Tony Plagman was hit by a pitch, advance to second on a single by Thomas Nichols, moved to third on a fielder’s choice by Dietrich, and scored on an RBI single by Feltes.
The Jackets held the 3-2 lead until the eighth inning, when Jace Whitmer hit a two-out single off Robinson, moved to third on a single by Josh Whitaker, and scored on an RBI single by Andrew Martin.
Nichols was issued a one-out walk in the bottom of the eighth inning, advanced to third on a single by Dietrich, and scored on Feltes’ RBI double. Dietrich moved to third on Feltes’ second hit of the game and, after Patrick Long was intentionally walked to load the bases, scored on Dantzler’s pinch-hit sacrifice fly.
Hicks retired the first two batters he faced in the top of the ninth and, after Stubblefield worked a walk off the Yellow Jacket closer, forced Bishop to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
Kennesaw State reliever Justin Edwards (2-1) took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits in 3.1 innings of work.
The Jackets will return to action this weekend when they host Virginia Tech in both team’s 2008 ACC opener. Game times are 4 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
