March 19, 2004
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Micah Owings’ two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning broke a 7-7 tie and lifted Georgia Tech (12-9, 1-3 ACC) to a 9-8 win over Wake Forest (10-8, 0-1) on Friday afternoon at Gene Hooks Stadium in the opener of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series.
With the score knotted 7-7 after nine innings, Tech’s Brandon Boggs led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a throwing error by Wake Forest shortstop Ben Ingold. After Tyler Greene advanced Boggs to third with a sacrifice bunt, Owings belted a 3-2 pitch over the left field wall for his team-leading fifth home run of the season that gave Tech a 9-7 lead.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, Steve LeFaivre hit a solo home to pull the Deacons to within 9-8, but Ryan Self came out of the Tech bullpen to retire Matt Miller on a groundout to end the game. Self earned his second save of the season, while John Goodman (3-0) earned the win.
Wake Forest’s Josh Ellis (1-1) took the loss in relief, allowing two runs in three innings.
Owings finished 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Eric Patterson went 3-for-4, including his first home run of the year, with three RBI. Boggs, Clifton Remole and Wes Hodges added two hits apiece for the Yellow Jackets.
Tech jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning with a pair of RBI singles from Patterson and Hodges. Remole singled with one out and a walk to Whit Robbins put runners on first and second bases before Patterson and Hodges followed with consecutive run scoring singles.
In the fifth inning, Patterson doubled with two outs, stole third base and scored on a wild pitch to extend Tech’s lead to 3-0. A two run double from Greene made the score 5-0 in the sixth inning.
Tech extended the lead to 7-0 in the top of the seventh inning on a two-run homer from Patterson, his first of the year.
Wake Forest had just four hits through the first six innings before erupting for seven unanswered runs in the seventh and ninth innings to tie the game at 7-7. Brad Scioletti hit a two run homer down the left field line, his second of the year. Matt Miller was hit by a pitch and Casey Sterk walked before Matt Antonelli came through with a two-out, two run single that scored both runners and made the score 7-4.
The Deacons scored three times in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the game to extra innings. Miller walked to lead off the inning before scoring on Sterk’s RBI double off the right field wall. Antonelli tied the game with a two-run homer to right field, his second of the season. The next two hitters, Ben Ingold and J.B. Tucker, both hit deep fly balls to the warning track to end the inning.
Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision. Tech’s Micah Owings allowed four runs in 6.1 innings, and Wake Forest’s Justin Keadle allowed seven runs in seven innings.
Georgia Tech and Wake Forest will continue the three-game series on Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. each day. Radio coverage will be available on WREK-Radio (91.1 FM in Atlanta) and on the internet at www.wrek.org. Live statistics will be available at www.ramblinwreck.com.
