Feb. 26, 2005
ATLANTA – Cory Rodriguez had four hits as Rutgers (4-1) rallied from an early 6-1 deficit to top No. 13 Georgia Tech (7-2), 10-9, in a marathon contest that was decided by an unearned run in the 13th inning on Saturday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium.
The loss snapped the Yellow Jackets’ seven game win streak and evened the three-game series at one win apiece. The two teams play the rubber match on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Tim Woodhull (1-0) earned the win in relief, working four shutout innings and allowing just three hits. Jim Jansen earned his first save of the season by working a scoreless 13th inning. Rutgers’ bullpen of Woodhull, Jansen and Sean Spicer worked 10 innings and allowed just one run.
After a solo home run from Rutgers’ Johnny Defendis, his first of the year, tied the score at 9-9 in the top of the ninth inning, neither team could score over the next three innings. Rutgers broke up the tie in the top of the 13th inning with an unearned run to take a 10-9 lead. Todd Frazier led off the inning with a double before and scored from second base when Jeff Grose’s sacrifice bunt was fielded cleanly by pitcher Jordan Crews but thrown away down the right field line.
Tech had an opportunity to tie the score in the bottom of the 13th when Mike Trapani led off the inning with a single and stole second base. But Jansen recorded a strikeout and two flyouts to end the game. Tech, which outhit Rutgers 18-15, stranded 18 runners on base.
Crews (0-1) was the tough luck loser, allowing just the one unearned run in 3.2 innings.
Rodriguez, the No. 8 hitter in the Rutgers order, went 4-for-5 with two RBI and Jason Grover, the No. 9 hitter, drove in three runs. Defendis went 3-for-6 with two RBI.
Tech’s Wes Hodges had a career-high five hits, including his team-leading sixth home run, and three RBI. Tyler Greene went 4-for-7 while Steven Blackwood drove in three runs.
The Yellow Jackets built a 6-1 lead after three innings. Tech scored two runs in the first on a RBI double from Jeremy Slayden and a RBI single from Hodges. The Jackets added four more runs in the second on a two-run homer from Hodges, his third in two games, a RBI triple from Greene and a RBI single from Blackwood.
Rutgers erupted for five runs in the fourth inning, including a three-run triple from Grover, to knot the score at 6-6.
Blackwood broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth with a two run homer, his first of the year, to give Tech an 8-6 lead.
The Scarlet Knights knotted the score at 8-8 with two runs in the top of the seventh inning. Colin Gaynor led off the inning with a double and scored on Johnny Defendis’ RBI single, while a RBI single from Cory Rodriguez scored Defendis to tie the game.
Tech broke through in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a 9-8 lead. Whit Robbins led off the inning with a walk and took third when Jeff Kindel singled on a successful hit and run play. Danny Payne drove in Robbins with a sacrifice fly.
