March 28, 2006
ATLANTA – Whit Robbins and Wes Hodges drove in four runs each, and Wally Crancer had three hits, including a home run, to pace an 18-hit attack as No. 3 Georgia Tech (21-4) defeated Western Carolina (15-10), 19-5, on Tuesday night at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Georgia Tech set season highs with 19 runs and 18 hits.
Ryan Turner (2-0) earned the win in relief, working three scoreless and hitless innings. Tech starter Tim Ladd worked four innings and allowed three runs, but did not figure in the decision after leaving the game when the Yellow Jackets had a 17-3 lead.
After the Catamounts took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Yellow Jackets responded with 19 unanswered runs. Tech scored one run in the first, five in the second, six in the third, five in the fourth and two in the sixth.
Crancer went 3-for-5 with his third home run of the year. Robbins went 2-for-3 with four RBI, while Hodges added four on a bases-clearing double and a sacrifice fly. Mike Trapani went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, Danny Payne was 2-for-3 with four runs scored, and Jeff Kindel and Andy Hawranick added two hits each.
The Catamounts scored two runs in the eighth inning, including a solo home run from Jonathan Greene, to provide the final 19-5 margin. Greene, Blake Murphy and Steven Strausbaugh each had two hits in the game for Western Carolina.
Western Carolina starter Jeremy Ellenburg (2-1) took the loss, allowing six runs in 1.1 innings. The Catamounts committed four errors in the game.
Georgia Tech visits Maryland for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series this weekend. Gametimes are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
