March 14, 2004
ATLANTA – Scott Headd’s RBI double highlighted a four run 10th inning as Virginia (17-2, 3-0 ACC) defeated No. 17 Georgia Tech (9-9, 0-3), 8-5, on Sunday afternoon at Russ Chandler Stadium. Matt Dunn, Josh Darby and Headd, the numbers five, six and seven hitters in the order, combined for 11 hits and five RBI in the game.
Virginia’s win completed a three-game sweep of Georgia Tech, the Cavaliers first sweep of the Yellow Jackets since the ACC adopted the current three-game weekend format for the 1990 season. Tech has lost four straight home games for the first time since 1986.
Trailing 3-2 after seven innings, Virginia rallied for two runs in the top of the eighth inning to take a 4-3 lead. Ryan Zimmerman led off the inning with a single and stole second base. After moving to third on a long fly out, Dunn tied the game with his triple to right field and Darby gave the Cavs a 4-3 lead.
Trailing 4-3, Tech mounted a rally in the eighth inning when consecutive walks to Tyler Greene and Whit Robbins put two runners on base with only one out, but a double play ground ball from Jake Hall ended the threat. Tech hit into seven double plays in the three-game series, including six that ended an inning.
Tech broke through in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 4-4. Eric Patterson drew a walk to lead off the inning, then stole second base and moved to third when the throw from Headd went into center field. Brandon Boggs drove in Patterson with a RBI groundout to second base.
In the top of the 10th inning the Cavaliers broke through for four runs to take an 8-4 lead. Singles from Zimmerman and Dunn put runners on first and third with one out, and Darby gave Virginia the lead with a RBI single to right field. A RBI double from Headd, a squeeze bunt from Kyle Werman and a RBI single from Mike Mitchell accounted for the final three runs of the inning. Tech’s Greene hit a solo home run, his third of the year, to pull the Yellow Jackets to within 8-5 in the bottom of the 10th, but Virginia reliever Casey Lambert closed out his third game of the series and recorded the final three outs.
Dunn paced the Virginia offense with four hits in five at bats, while Headd went 3-for-5 with three doubles and two RBI and Darby drove in two runs with a 3-for-4 afternoon.
Virginia’s Canon Hickman (3-1), who worked 1.2 innings and allowed one run, earned the win in relief. Tech’s Blake Wood (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in two innings.
The Cavaliers strung together four consecutive two-out hits to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. Singles from Dunn and Darby put runners on first and second bases before Dunn scored on a double from Headd and Darby scored when Tech left fielder Steven Blackwood misplayed the ball.
Tech knotted the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning with its own two-out rally. After the first two hitters of the inning were retired, a single from Mike Nickeas and a double from Andy Hawranick put runners on second and third bases. Greene laced a single to right center field to drive in both runners and tie the game.
The Yellow Jackets took their first lead of the series in the bottom of the fifth inning when Jake Hall legged out a double, moved to third on Mike Trapani’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Boggs’ RBI single to make the score 3-2.
Nickeas led the Yellow Jackets with three hits, and Greene had two hits and three RBI. Blackwood and Hall added two hits apiece.
Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision. Tech starter Andrew Kown worked a career-long seven innings and allowed two runs on eight hits. Virginia’s Joe Koshansky went six innings, allowing three runs while striking out seven.
Georgia Tech will host Purdue for a two game series on Tuesday and Wednesday at 4 p.m. each day. Live statistics will be available at www.ramblinwreck.com.
