May 6, 2005
ATLANTA – Steven Blackwood’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning capped a four run rally over the final two innings and lifted No. 6 Georgia Tech (33-12) to a 5-4 win over Florida Atlantic (26-17) in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Trailing 4-1 after eight and a half innings and hitless since one out in the second, the Yellow Jackets rallied for three runs on four hits to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Tyler Greene led off the inning with a double and Blackwood followed with a RBI single to pull the Yellow Jackets within 4-2. A one-out single from Wes Hodges put the tying run on base before Jeff Kindel hit a game-tying, two-run double down the right field line.
Florida Atlantic rallied in the top of the 10th inning, loading the bases with one out. But Tech reliever Tim Gustafson worked out of the jam by recording a strikeout and a pop out to end the threat.
Tech won the game in the bottom of the tenth. Danny Payne worked a walk to lead off the inning and moved to second base on a one-out wild pitch. After Greene was intentionally walked, Blackwood laced the game-winning hit to right field that scored Payne from second base.
Greene went 2-for-3 with a home run, double, two walks and two runs scored. Blackwood and Kindel each had two hits and drove in two runs.
Gustafson (4-1) earned the win in relief, working 2.2 shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three.
Mike McBryde (2-2) took the loss, surrendering three runs on four hits in 1.1 innings.
A leadoff home run from Tyler Greene, his eighth of the season, staked the Yellow Jackets to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Florida Atlantic answered with a solo homer from Alex Fonseca, his third, to tie the game at 1-1 in the third inning.
FAU took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the fifth. Jonathan Shapland hit a solo home run, his third of the year, while Justin Martin doubled and scored on Fonseca’s two-out RBI single.
A third FAU solo home run of the game, Robbie Widlansky’s fifth of the season, gave the Blue Wave a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning.
Fonseca had three hits and drove in two runs, while Widlansky and Justin Martin added two hits each for FAU.
Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision despite strong efforts from both sides. FAU’s Mickey Storey went eight-plus innings and held the Yellow Jackets to two runs on three hits while retiring 24 of the 28 batters he faced. Tech starter Lee Hyde went 7.1 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits.
Georgia Tech and Florida Atlantic will continue the series on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
