March 26, 2006
ATLANTA – Wes Hodges and Michael Fisher each had two hits, and four Georgia Tech pitchers combined on a seven hitter to lead the fourth-ranked Yellow Jackets (20-4, 5-4 ACC) to a 3-2 win over No. 2 North Carolina (20-5, 5-4) on Sunday at Russ Chandler Stadium. Georgia Tech won the three game series, two games to one.
Lee Hyde (3-0) earned the win in relief, retiring all five batters he faced. He worked 1.2 perfect innings and struck out two batters.
Matt Wieters recorded the final five outs of the game to earn his second save of the season. Tech’s bullpen pitched 8.1 shutout innings and allowed just one hit in the three-game series.
North Carolina starter Robert Woodard (2-1) took the loss after working six innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Woodard suffered his first loss since May, 2004.
Hodges and Fisher each went 2-for-3.
Benji Johnson jumped on the first pitch of the third inning to give the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead with his fourth home run of the year. North Carolina extended the lead to 2-0 when Tim Federowicz hit a solo home run, his fifth of the year, on the first pitch of the fourth inning.
Georgia Tech cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth inning. Fisher singled and Danny Payne walked to lead off the inning, and after both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Hodges drove in Fisher with a sacrifice fly.
The Yellow Jackets scored two runs in the sixth inning to take a 3-2 lead. After Whit Robbins led off the inning with a single, Steven Blackwood hit a ball that UNC center fielder Seth Williams lost in the sun and resulted in a double for Blackwood. With runners on second and third bases with no outs, Mike Trapani hit a sacrifice fly that scored Robbins and pinch hitter Wally Crancer added a RBI groundout that scored Blackwood with the go-ahead run.
Tech starter David Duncan did not figure in the decision despite a solid effort. The freshman worked 5.1 innings and allowed two runs while striking out five.
Josh Horton led the Tar Heels with a 3-for-4 effort.
Georgia Tech returns to action on Tuesday at 7 p.m. when the Yellow Jackets host Western Carolina at Russ Chandler Stadium.
