Virginia Sweeps ACC Series Against #17 Georgia Tech After 8-5 Victory
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March 14, 2004
ATLANTA, Ga. – The University of Virginia baseball team recorded an 8-5 victory over the #17 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the final contest of a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series at GT’s Russ Chandler Stadium. Virginia’s victory marked the first time ever that UVa swept Georgia Tech in a three-game ACC series in baseball. The Cavaliers also improved to a perfect 8-0 on the road this year.
As it did in the previous two games of the series, Virginia scored the first run of the ball game and took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. After Matt Dunn and Josh Darby each singled, Scott Headd connected on a RBI-single to left field with two outs that aided in both baserunners scoring a run. Dunn scored his run on Headd’s hit and Darby also scored a run on the play thanks in part to a Yellow Jacket fielding error in left field.
Georgia Tech came right back in the bottom half of the fourth inning and knotted the score at 2-2 when Tyler Green placed a two-run, RBI-single into right-center field to drive in Mike Nickeas (single) and Andy Hawranick (double).
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Yellow Jackets took their first lead of the series and made the score 3-2 when Brandon Boggs connected on a RBI-single down the left field line to drive in Jake Hall from third base.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Cavaliers regained the lead at 4-3. Dunn tied the game at 3-3 when he tripled to right field to drive in Ryan Zimmerman, who singled, stole second base and then made his way to third base when Koshansky advanced him there with a fly ball to center field. In UVa’s next at-bat, Darby drove in Dunn to give Virginia a 4-3 lead on a RBI-double to left-center field.
But in the bottom of the ninth inning, GT’s Eric Patterson walked, stole second base and then advanced to third base on a UVa throwing error to lead off the side, before he scored the game-tying run on a RBI-groundout by Brandon Boggs to tie the game at 4-4, sending the contest into extra innings.
However, in the top of the tenth inning, the Cavaliers regained the lead after four consecutive RBI by Darby, Headd, Kyle Werman and Mike Mitchell to stretch the lead to 8-4. GT tacked on a run in the bottom of the tenth inning on a solo home run to right field by Tyler Green to make the score 8-5, but that would be as close as the Yellow Jackets would get as the Cavaliers came away with a three-run victory.
The Cavaliers’ Canon Hickman (3-1) picked up the win on the mound for Virginia. Hickman tossed 1.2 innings and allowed one run on one hit and struck out one batter. UVa starting pitcher Joe Koshansky went 6.0 innings and allowed three runs on eight hit and struck out seven batters.
The Yellow Jackets’ Blake Wood (0-1) was shouldered with the loss. Wood allowed four runs on four hits in 2.0 innings of action. GT starting pitcher Andrew Kown lasted 7.0 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out five batters.
With the victory, Virginia’s record improves to 17-2 overall, 3-0 in the ACC. The loss drops Georgia Tech’s record to 9-9 overall, 0-3 in the conference. UVa won the weekend series three games to none.
The Cavaliers will return to action on Wednesday, March 17th when UVa travels to Norfolk, Va. to face the Old Dominion Monarchs. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM.
— UVa —