May 9, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Freshman Micah Owings worked seven shutout innings and teamed with Jordan Crews and Ryan Self on a six-hit shutout as No. 11 Georgia Tech (35-13, 13-6 ACC) defeated Virginia (26-19, 9-9), 7-0, on Friday night at Davenport field in the opener of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series. The win kept the Yellow Jackets in second place in the ACC standings and just one game behind Florida State, which defeated Maryland on Friday night.
Owings (7-2) worked seven shutout innings and recorded a season-high nine strikeouts. He allowed five hits, all singles, and allowed just two baserunners to advance past first base as he faced just three batters over the minimum in seven innings. Jordan Crews worked a shutout eighth inning and Ryan Self pitched a scoreless ninth inning, as the trio combined for Tech’s second shutout of the season.
Georgia Tech out hit Virginia, 15-6, representing the Yellow Jackets’ highest hit total in 14 games dating back to April 18. Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit in the game, while the lone starter without a hit, center fielder Steven Blackwood, drew three walks and was hit by a pitch. Six Tech players had two hits in the game – Eric Patterson, Tyler Greene, Clifton Remole, Mike Nickeas, Owings and Jake Hall.
The Yellow Jackets built a 4-0 lead through the first three innings to chase Virginia starter Andrew Dobies from the game. Nickeas led off the top of the second inning with a solo homer, his seventh of the season to give Tech a 1-0 lead. Three runs in the third inning, including RBI singles from Nickeas and Owings as well as a sacrifice fly from Hall, made the score 4-0.
Tech added three more runs in the fifth to stretch the lead to 7-0. Patterson and Greene each had RBI singles in the inning, while Patterson scored when Virginia centerfielder Chris Sweet overran a ball when attempting to field Greene’s single.
Dobies (6-2) took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits in three innings.
Georgia Tech and Virginia will continue the series on Saturday at 7 p.m. Radio coverage will be available on WREK-Radio (91.1 FM in Atlanta), while live statistics and the radio broadcast will be available on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com.
