Feb. 24, 2006
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Jeff Kindel homered and drove in four runs as No. 3 Georgia Tech (9-0) used a five run first inning to down No. 6 Tennessee (6-2), 8-5, on Friday in the first day of the Baseball Bash at the Beach at Coastal Federal Field.
Tech starter Blake Wood (3-0) earned the win and improved to 13-1 over the last two seasons. The right-hander worked five innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.
Brad Rulon pitched three innings in relief and allowed two runs. Tim Gustafson earned his third save of the season by tossing a scoreless ninth inning.
Kindel went 2-for-5 with four RBI, while Matt Wieters had two hits and scored two runs.
The Yellow Jackets jumped on Tennessee starter James Adkins for five runs on five hits in the top of the first inning. Danny Payne led off the game with a single and eventually scored on a throwing error from Tennessee shortstop Tony Delmonico, while Kindel, Luke Murton, Mike Trapani and Michael Fisher followed with RBI singles.
Tennessee pulled within 5-2 in the third inning on a RBI double from Julio Borbon and a sacrifice fly from J.P. Arencibia.
Kindel answered with a three-run homer, his second of the year, to make the score 8-2 in the fourth inning.
The Vols mounted a threat in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases when the first three hitters of the inning singled. Borbon drove in a run when he beat out an infield single, making the score 8-3. But Wood escaped without any further damage by getting a force out at home plate and two strikeouts.
Tennessee scored two runs in the sixth inning to make the score 8-5. The Vols loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, single and error before Borbon delivered a sacrifice fly and Delmonico added a RBI single. Rulon got out of the inning with a double play ground ball, one of four double plays turned by the Yellow Jackets in the game.
Adkins (3-1), who had allowed just two runs on five hits in 18 innings entering the game, took the loss after surrendering eight runs on seven hits in four innings. Craig Cobb pitched well in relief, working five shutout innings.
Borbon went 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Kelly Edmundson and Cody Brown each had two hits.
In the first game of the Bash at the Beach, host Coastal Carolina rallied for a 4-3, 10-inning victory over Virginia Commonwealth.
Saturday’s schedule features Georgia Tech vs. VCU at 12 noon and Coastal Carolina vs. Tennessee at 3:30 p.m.
