April 16, 2004
ATLANTA – Tyler Greene and Andy Hawranick each drove in two runs during a five-run sixth inning to lead Georgia Tech (21-15) to an 8-4 win over Washington (19-13-1) in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night at Russ Chandler Stadium.
Tech starter Andrew Kown improved to 5-1 after working 6.2 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. He issued three walks while striking out three, and retired 12 of the first 14 hitters of the game.
Steven Blackwood and Clifton Remole each had two hits to extend their respective hitting streaks to a season-long 12 games, while Micah Owings also had two hits in the game.
The Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Eric Patterson singled, stole second base and scored on Brandon Boggs’ RBI single. Patterson had two stolen bases in the game to raise his career total to 102, the third highest figure in Tech history.
Kown held Washington hitless for the first four innings before the Huskies broke through for two runs in the top of the fifth on Ben Johnson’s fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot over the right field wall.
Washington extended its lead to 3-1 in the sixth when Zach Clem singled, stole second base and scored on Aaron Hathaway’s RBI single.
Tech answered with five runs in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead, 6-3. The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases with one out before Greene drove in two runs with a single and Hawranick plated two more runs with a double to the left center field wall. A pair of errors scored Hawranick with the fifth run of the inning.
In the seventh, Steven Blackwood doubled and scored on shortstop Nick Batkoski’s throwing error to extend the lead to 7-3.
Washington’s Zach Clem led off the top of the eighth with a solo home run, his ninth of the year, to pull the Huskies to within 7-4. Tech made the score 8-4 in the bottom of the as Micah Owings singled and scored on Mike Nickeas’ squeeze bunt.
Washington starter Kyle Parker (1-1) took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits in 5.1 innings. Clem paced the Huskies’ offense with two hits.
Georgia Tech and Washington will continue the three-game series on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
