March 9, 2005
ATLANTA – Jeremy Slayden had three hits, including a home run, and Tyler Greene drove in four runs as eighth-ranked Georgia Tech (13-2) scored 12 runs in the first three innings in a 17-6 win over visiting Georgia Southern (6-7) on Wednesday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets continued their offensive tear, scoring 11 or more runs for the fifth straight game and for the eighth time in the last 10 games. Tech has scored 75 runs in the last five games.
Tech completed a sweep of the four-game regular season series with Georgia Southern, and the Jackets recorded their 27th win in their last 29 games against the Eagles.
Slayden went 3-for-5 with three RBI and Greene drove in four runs on two hits. Steven Blackwood had three hits in five at bats as Tech outhit Georgia Southern, 17-7. Fifteen of Tech’s 17 runs came after two outs.
Ryan Turner improved to 2-0 in his second start of the year, working five innings and allowing two earned runs. He held the Eagles to four hits and struck out six.
The Yellow Jackets took control early, batting around in both the second and third innings to take a 12-2 lead. Tech sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs in the second, including a two-run single from Greene and RBI hits from Slayden and Blackwood.
Another 11 Yellow Jackets went to the plate in a seven-run third inning. Slayden hit a two-run homer, his fifth of the year and third in two games, and Greene added a two-run single. Tech’s seven run explosion started with two outs and a runner on first base.
The Eagles scored two runs in the third inning on a pair of wild pitches, and added an unearned run in the fourth. A sacrifice fly from Brent Stephens made the score 12-5 in the top of the seventh.
A pinch-hit two-run from Cameron Lane and RBI singles from Whit Robbins and Jake Hall made the score 16-4 in the bottom of the seventh. The Eagles scored two unearned runs in the eighth on Logan Phillips’ double. Nick Scherer had a RBI double, his first career hit, in the eighth inning to provide the final 17-6 margin.
Georgia Southern starter Mike Chiciak (0-1), one of five Eagle pitchers in the game, allowed five runs in two innings and was charged with the loss.
The Eagles’ Jason Hurst extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a seventh inning single and Greg Dowling went 2-for-3.
Georgia Tech will host Wake Forest for a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series beginning on Friday at 4 p.m.
