May 13, 2006
ATLANTA – Matt Wieters, Luke Murton and Wally Crancer each drove in two runs as No. 8 Georgia Tech (38-13, 16-10 ACC) rallied from an early 6-0 deficit to defeat Duke (14-38, 6-23), 11-8 on Friday night at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The Yellow Jackets scored nine runs in the fourth through seventh innings after falling behind 6-0. Tech extended its winning streak over Duke to 18 games dating to 2001.
Tech starter David Duncan (7-2) pitched around a rough third inning to earn the win, working 6.1 innings and allowing seven runs.
Jared Hyatt picked up his second save of the season after allowing one run over the final 2.2 innings.
Duke reliever Jim Perry (0-6) took the loss.
Michael Fisher and Mike Trapani each had two hits for the Yellow Jackets. Eight of Tech’s starters had at least one hit in the game.
Duke’s Nate Freiman hit two home runs, while Jonathan Anderson and Adam Murray added two this.
The Blue Devils took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a two-run homer from Matt Williams, his first of the season.
Duke batted around and scored four runs in the third inning to extend the lead to 6-0. Three singles loaded the bases with no outs, and Brett Bartles followed with a two-run single. A walk loaded the bases for the second time in the inning before Murray had a two-run single.
Tech pulled to within 6-2 in the fourth inning when Robbins hit a solo home run, his 11th of the year, while Murton doubled and scored on a RBI single from Crancer.
After Freiman hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning to make the score 7-2, the Yellow Jackets erupted for five runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 7-7. Tech sent nine batters to the plate in the inning, highlighted by a RBI double from Trapani, a RBI single from Jeff Kindel and a sacrifice fly from Crancer. Two runs scored on an error by Murray at third base.
The Yellow Jackets manufactured a run in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 9-7 lead. Fisher led off the sixth with a double, took third on a sacrifice bunt from Trapani and scored on a RBI groundout from Steven Blackwood. In the seventh, Kindel drew a leadoff walk, took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a flyout from Whit Robbins, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Murton.
Freiman led off the eighth inning with a solo home run, his second of the game and fifth of the season, to pull the Blue Devils within 9-8.
Georgia Tech added two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to extend the lead to 11-8. Trapani drew a two-out walk and Blackwood followed with a single before Wieters hit a two-run double off the center field wall.
The Yellow Jackets and Blue Devils conclude the series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
