May 25, 2003
Salem, Va. – Chris Goodman pitched eight solid innings, and Georgia Tech used a six-run sixth inning to erase an early five-run deficit as the 10th-ranked Yellow Jackets eliminated North Carolina, 10-6, Sunday in the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament.
Tech (42-16) survives to face Florida State (50-9-1) at 1:15 p.m. today and must win two more games to win its first ACC Tournament since 2000. The winner will face NC State (42-15) for the championship 30 minutes after the conclusion of the game. FSU advanced in the losers’ bracket by defeating the Wolfpack, 17-6, Saturday night, sending NC State directly to the championship game.
North Carolina (39-21) jumped ahead 5-0 against Chris Goodman (9-3) before Tech could get on the board. The Tar Heels scored a run in the first, then added four runs (two earned) with the aid of two Tech errors in the third, with Jeremy Cleveland delivering a two-run double and Sean Farrell adding an RBI-single.
Goodman settled down after that to limit North Carolina to just one hit over the next five innings while Tech came from behind. The senior righthander allowed seven hits, struck out five and did not walk a batter. Nick Wagner pitched the ninth, giving up one run.
The Yellow Jackets scratched for a run in the third, then scored three runs on four hits against UNC starter Scott Manshack in the fourth to close the gap to 5-4.
UNC reliever Bo Dickerson (0-1) stoked Tech’s sixth inning by walking three of the first four Yellow Jacket batters to load the bases. After Jonathan Hovis came on to replace Dickerson, Tyler Greene tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Brandon Boggs tripled in two more runs, Steven Blackwood doubled in two and Matt Murton singled in another to give the Jackets a 10-5 lead.
Tech also will learn this afternoon whether it will host an NCAA regional next weekend. The NCAA will announce the 16 regional sites, all of which will be played Friday through Sunday, at approximately 3:15 p.m., on ESPN. The complete 64-team field will be announced at 12:30 p.m. Monday on ESPN2.
Tech’s game with FSU will be televised live on Fox Sports Net South and Sunshine Network. The championship game, which will be played 30 minutes following Tech-FSU, will be aired live on Sunshine Network and on a tape-delayed basis at 8 p.m. on Fox Sports Net South.
Radio coverage for all of Tech’s games in the tournament is 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.
