March 24, 2004
ATHENS, Ga. – Tech second baseman Eric Patterson drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the top of the ninth inning to help Georgia Tech to a 4-3 win over Georgia (16-5) Wednesday night at Foley Field. The Jackets earned their first win in the series since the 2002 baseball season.
Down by two in the sixth inning, the Bulldogs strung together three straight hits to take a 3-2 lead in the game. Justin Holmes doubled, Jason Jacobs singled to move Holmes to third, and Morris delivered his team-leading 11th home run of the season to give Georgia the one-run edge.
The Jackets came back with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning after Georgia reliever Johnny Dobbs walked Tyler Greene, pinch hitter Whit Robbins and Clifton Remole to set Patterson up for his game-winning single up the middle, which drove in Greene and pinch runner Cameron Lane.
Patterson led the Jackets with three hits in the game, while Micah Owings added two, including a home run. Owings earned his third win of the season, allowing just four hits in 3.2 innings of work in relief while striking out six.
Back-to-back singles to begin the game gave the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 heading into the bottom of the first inning. Patterson led off with a single to left field and stole second on the first pitch to Wes Hodges, and Hodges delivered an RBI single to left field to score Patterson.
Tech added another run in the top of the fourth inning when Owings blasted his team-leading seventh home run of the season over the left field fence, giving Tech a 2-0 lead.
Tech starter Lee Hyde carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, retiring 14 of the first 15 batters that he faced, before giving up back-to-back infield singles to the Bulldogs’ Matt Robbins and Josh Smith. A fielder’s choice by Kyle Keen ended Georgia’s threat however, keeping the Jackets’ 2-0 lead in tact heading into the sixth inning.
Neither starter figured in the decision, as Hyde went a career-high 5.1 innings, allowing just two runs while tying a career high with five strikeouts. He walked just one Georgia batter in the game. Georgia starter David Timm gave up six hits and two runs in four innings of work while striking out four and walking three.
Dobbs took the loss for Georgia, allowing two runs and no hits in an inning of work.
The Jackets will return to action when they host Georgia Southern in a two-game series this weekend, beginning Saturday at 1 p.m. and concluding Sunday with a 1 p.m. start. Radio coverage will be available for both games 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.
