May 2, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C.–Micah Owings and Andrew Kown turned in strong pitching performances, and Clifton Remole and Steven Blackwood drove in three runs apiece as No. 23 Georgia Tech (27-17, 9-5 ACC) swept a doubleheader from NC State (28-18, 9-11), 6-1 and 7-3, on Sunday afternoon at Doak Field. The second game of the day was called after eight innings due to rain, and the three-game weekend series was shortened to two games due to inclement weather.
The Yellow Jackets won their sixth straight game overall and their seventh straight contest against Atlantic Coast Conference opponents. Tech improved to 7-1 in ACC road games and 11-3 in all road games.
Georgia Tech won its eighth straight game against NC State in Raleigh dating to the 2000 season.
IN GAME ONE, Tech starter Micah Owings and NC State starter Michael Rogers dominated the game for the first three innings before the Yellow Jackets finally broke through in the fourth inning. Steven Blackwood drew a two-out walk, stole second base and scored on Owings RBI single to give Tech a 1-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets added two runs in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 3-0. Clifton Remole led off the inning with a walk, and after the next two hitters flew out, Whit Robbins delivered a two-out RBI double off the right field wall. Eric Patterson followed with a RBI single that drove in Robbins.
Remole made the score 5-0 in the top of the sixth with a two-run homer, his third of the year, off reliever Nate Cretarolo. Tech added an unearned run in the top of the eighth inning when Brandon Boggs walked and scored on third baseman Joey Devine’s fielding error.
Meanwhile, Owings continued to shut down the Wolfpack hitters and he carried a shutout into the eighth after allowing just three hits through the first seven innings. An eight-inning leadoff triple from Bryan Kinneberg and a bunt RBI single from Matt Camp accounted for NC State’s lone run of the game. The Wolfpack had a chance to do more damage in the inning when they loaded the bases with one out, but reliever Nick Wagner induced a double play ground ball from Mike Jensen to end the inning.
Owings (6-2) earned a win in his second straight start, working seven-plus innings and allowing one run on five hits. He walked two and struck out eight, and he allowed just two NC State hitters to advance past first base. Wagner worked the final two innings of the game, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Owings and Remole led the Tech offense with two hits each. All five of Tech’s RBI in the game came with two outs.
Rogers (6-3) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in five innings. He issued two walks and struck out four.
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IN GAME TWO, Tech starter Andrew Kown improved to 7-1 after holding the Wolfpack to two runs on six hits in seven innings. He issued four walks and struck out three, and he allowed just four NC State hitters to advance past second base. Kown earned a win in his third straight start, and he improved to 6-0 in his last eight starts.
The Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when consecutive singles from Owings and Boggs put runners on first and third bases and Remole followed with a RBI groundout that scored Owings.
Tech scored four runs in the third inning to take control of the game, 5-0. After Andy Hawranick drew a one-out walk, the Yellow Jackets strung together five straight hits. A single from Patterson put runners on first and second, and Wes Hodges followed with a RBI double and Steven Blackwood drove in two runs with a double down the right field line. A single from Owings put runners on first and third, and Boggs finished the scoring with Tech’s third double of the inning.
NC State’s David Hicks walked and scored on Jason St. Julien’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 5-1. The Wolfpack pulled to within 5-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Jake Muyco singled and scored on Matt Camp’s RBI single.
The Yellow Jackets added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning to stretch the lead to 7-2. Patterson reached on an error and Hodges singled to put runners on first and third bases. Blackwood drove in Patterson with a sacrifice fly, while Hodges stole second base and scored on Boggs’ two out RBI single off the left field wall.
The Wolfpack’s Lee Mezistrano led off the eighth with a double and scored on pinch hitter Conor Clougherty’s RBI goundout to make the score 7-3, but the game was called during the top of the ninth inning when a heavy rainstorm moved into the area.
Boggs paced the Yellow Jackets with three hits and two RBI in game two, while Hodges added two hits and Blackwood drove in three runs.
NC State starter Vern Sterry (7-2) took the loss in game two, allowing a season-high seven runs on eight hits in 6.1 innings.
Georgia Tech returns to action on Friday when the Yellow Jackets host Duke in the opener of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series.
