June 11, 2005
NCAA Atlanta Super Regional – Game 2
#9 Tennessee 13, #5 Georgia Tech 3
UT wins series 2-0 and advances to College World Series
ATLANTA – Left-handed pitcher James Adkins (10-4) worked 7.2 strong innings and Michael Rivera went 2-for-3, with a home run and four runs batted in, to lead No. 9 Tennessee (46-19) past No. 5 Georgia Tech (45-19), 13-3, in the NCAA Atlanta Super Regional Saturday at Russ Chandler Stadium.
“Certainly we’re disappointed in the outcome today, but give Tennessee a lot of credit” said Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall. “We didn’t have any answers for [James] Adkins. He pitched very well.”
With the win, the Volunteers win the NCAA Atlanta Super Regional and advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb., to face the winner of the NCAA Gainesville Super Regional between Florida and Florida State.
“This is probably the best team I’ve ever been on and coached,” said Tennessee head coach Rod Delmonico. “I’m very lucky and blessed to have the opportunity to coach these young men this year.”
Adkins surrendered seven hits, allowing three runs, three earned runs, and struck out 11 for the Volunteers. Left-handed starter Lee Hyde (7-4) worked 2.2 innings for Tech, allowing four hits, five runs, four earned runs and struck out two.
UT’s Eric King, J.P. Arencibia and Julio Borbon each drove in two runs for the Vols. Junior Jeff Kindel led Tech offensively, with a 2-for-3 performance, and one RBI. Junior Tyler Greene finished the game 2-for-4, reaching the 100-hit plateau for the Jackets (13th player in school history to reach that feat).
The Volunteers threatened early with runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Tech’s Hyde pitched his way out of the jam with a big strikeout and a fly out to left field to keep the Vols off the scoreboard.
UT broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning with six runs, highlighted by a three-run home run by Rivera, his first of the season, to give the Vols a 6-0 lead.
The Vols’ Rob Fitzgerald drove in a run and Borbon drove in two more to plate three runs for Tennessee in the bottom of the fourth inning to increase the advantage to nine runs after four complete innings.
Junior Mike Trapani drove in Tech’s first run of the game in the top of the fifth inning with a single up the middle to bring the deficit to eight, 9-1.
UT’s Rivera drove in his fourth run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs on a single to right field to push the Vols’ lead back to nine, 10-1.
The Yellow Jackets scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning off RBI hits by Kindel and sophomore Wes Hodges to bring Tech within seven, 10-3.
The Volunteers’ Arencibia drove in two runs with a two-double and King drove in another run to push three more runs across for UT in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Vols their largest lead of the game, 13-3.
LINE SCORE R-H-EGT 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-2-0 3-7-1UT 0-0-6-3-1-0-0-3-X 13-16-0
GAME NOTES: GT’s Tyler Greene tallied his 100th hit of the season, becoming the 13th Yellow Jacket to reach such a feat. Wes Hodges finished the season with 106 hits, tying former Tech standout Jason Varitek, for fourth place all-time for a single-season. It is the fourth time in program history that two players tallied 100 hits in a season (Hodges and Greene). Matt Wieters did not tally a hit for the first time in 16 games.
