May 5, 2002
ATLANTA – Tyler Parker homered and drove in five runs to lead ninth-ranked Georgia Tech (37-10, 11-8 ACC) to a 15-6 win over top-ranked Clemson (39-7, 13-4 ACC) on Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium. The Yellow Jackets victory evened the three-game series at one win apiece following the Tigers 12-9 win on Saturday night.
Tech starter Brian Burks (9-3), earned the win after battling through six innings. He scattered 11 hits and allowed four earned runs while striking out two batters. The Tech bullpen, including Jeff Watchko, Drew Taylor and Nick Wagner, held the Tigers to one run over the final three innings.
With the score knotted at 4-4, the Yellow Jackets exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 11-4 lead. Tech loaded the bases with no outs, but Clemson pitchers retired the next two batters to quickly record two outs. The Yellow Jackets scored four runs with a hit batsman and three straight walks with the bases loaded by Tyler Lumsden before Eric Patterson and Victor Mencoal drove in the final three runs with back-to-back two-out singles.
Tech added four insurance runs in the eighth inning on a three-run homer from Parker, his ninth of the year, and a RBI single from Matt Murton. Parker went 3-for-4 with a season-high five RBI in the game, while Menocal and Jason Perry also added three hits. All nine Tech starters had at least one hit in the game.
The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo home run by Khalil Greene, his 14th of the season. The Yellow Jackets immediately answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Jason Perry drove in Jeremy Slayden and Murton with a double and later scored on a RBI single from Parker that made the score 3-1.
A RBI single by David Slevin made the score 3-2 in the second inning. Tech’s Perry answered in the fourth with a solo home run, his eighth of the season, to push the lead to 4-2.
Clemson tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fifth with a RBI single from Greene and a RBI groundout from Jeff Baker.
Clemson starter Matt Henrie (9-2) took the loss after allowing seven runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings. Greene and Baker led the Tigers with three hits apiece.
Georgia Tech and Clemson will play the rubber match of the three-game series at 7 p.m. on Monday. A live radio broadcast for the game can be heard on WREK-Radio (91.1 FM in Atlanta) and on the internet at www.ramblinwreck.com. Live scoring for the game will be available at www.ramblinwreck.com. The Yellow Jackets will send right-hander Chris Goodman (5-0, 3.94 ERA) to the mound where he will opposed by Clemson righty B.J. LaMura (5-1, 2.72 ERA).
