June 4, 2005
NCAA Atlanta Regional
Game 4 – #1 Georgia Tech 10, #2 South Carolina 2
Georgia Tech Advances to Regional title game on Sunday
ATLANTA – After allowing two runs in the first inning, sophomore right-handed pitcher Blake Wood (10-1) tossed eight consecutive scoreless innings for his first career complete game, and junior shortstop Tyler Greene extended his hitting streak to 22 games, going 3-for-3, with one RBI, to lead top-seeded and fifth-ranked Georgia Tech (44-16) past second-seeded and No. 23 South Carolina (39-22), 10-2, in the NCAA Atlanta Regional at Russ Chandler Stadium on Saturday.
Wood, a native of Suwanee, Ga., retired 13 straight from the fourth to seventh innings, and struck out eight USC batters, allowing six hits and walked just one. His complete game was the first by a Yellow Jacket pitcher this season.
Freshman designated hitter Matt Wieters drove in two runs for the Jackets and increased his career-high hitting streak to 13 games. Freshman center fielder Danny Payne finished the game 2-for-3, with one RBI, and four runs scored to lead Tech offensively.
Six different Gamecocks tallied hits for USC and starting pitcher Arik Hempy (2-1) was handed his first loss of the season, surrendering four runs in the first inning without recording an out. Steve Pearce and Chris Brown each drove in a run for the Gamecocks.
The Yellow Jackets brought nine to the plate in the top of the first inning, scoring four runs, highlighted by a two-run double by Wieters and an RBI single by sophomore third baseman Wes Hodges.
The Gamecocks answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, courtesy of an RBI single by Pearce and a sacrifice fly by Brown as Tech led 4-2 after one inning of play.
Junior right fielder Jeff Kindel increased Tech’s advantage to three runs, 5-2, in the top of the second inning with a base hit to right-center field to plate Payne, who led off with a walk and advanced to second base on Greene’s hit-by-pitch.
The Yellow Jackets added a run in the third, sixth and seventh innings, on RBIs by Payne, junior second baseman Mike Trapani and Greene, to push the advantage to six runs over the Gamecocks, 8-2.
Junior pinch hitter Jeremy Slayden connected on his 12th home run of the season and Payne scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth inning to close out the scoring in the game and give the Jackets a 10-2 victory over South Carolina.
Tech advances to the NCAA Atlanta Regional Championship game on Sunday and will have to be beaten twice. The Yellow Jackets will await the winner of No. 2 seed South Carolina and No. 3 seed Michigan at 4 p.m. tomorrow.
LINE SCORE R-H-EGT 4-1-1-0-0-1-1-0-2 10-17-0USC 2-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 2-6-2
-GT BASEBALL-
