Baseball sweeps Dukes, loses to WCU

The Tech baseball team, which dropped under .500 for the third time this season, looked to bounce back last week with a three-game series against the Duquesne Dukes of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Fri: GT-11, DU-2

Tech swung the bats early and often, as they jumped out to a 7-1 lead after three innings. Junior catcher Matt Wieters hit a two-run home run, his third of the season, in the bottom of the first inning to give Tech a 2-0 lead. Senior co-captain, Wally Crancer, followed with his third home run to give the Jackets a 3-0 after the first.

In the third inning, the Jackets' bats struck again, as sophomore first baseman Luke Murton smashed a two-run home run, his first dinger of the season. Then, junior Michael Fisher followed with a home run of his own, his second home run of the season, to give Tech a 7-1 lead after three innings.

There is no recollection of the last time Tech hit back-to-back home runs twice in one game.

Starting pitcher David Duncan (4.50, 2-1) used that offensive firepower to his advantage, giving up just seven hits over five innings and allowing two runs while walking one and striking out four.

Sat: GT-10 , DU-7

The Jackets had to fight a lot harder down the stretch in game two of the series. The Dukes got a run in the first inning on a triple and an RBI ground out and another run in the third inning on back-to-back doubles by Brian Bernardo and Eric Morrison.

Junior center fielder Danny Payne gave Tech its first run in the bottom of the third as he scored on an RBI ground out while freshman Matt Harper, who was making his first collegiate start of his career, gave Tech the lead for good with a two-RBI double in the fourth inning, 3-2.

Leading 5-4 late in the ball game, Tech called upon Payne, originally a center fielder, but also a part-time closer, to try and shutdown the Dukes for the final two innings. Payne did the job in the eighth inning.

Tech grabbed five insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 10-4 lead. Seemingly with the game in hand, Coach Danny Hall relieved Payne back to his center field position and called upon freshman Andrew Robinson, to give the rookie some valuable playing experience in his first collegiate game.

The stint did not go very well as Robinson allowed three runs on two hits in just 2/3 of an inning.

With the score 10-6, runners on base and the game hanging in the balance, Coach Hall recalled Payne to get the final out of the game with the tying run on deck. Payne was able to close out of the game and end the Dukes scoring threat.

The win gave Tech a 4-3 mark on the season, the first time the Jackets have had a winning record.

Sun: GT-15 , DU-6

The final game of the three game series was not as dramatic as the middle game, but was more like the opener. The Jackets jumped out to an early lead of 5-0 and never looked back.

Murton (4) and Crancer (2) each hit three-run home runs and sophomore starter Chris Hicks pitched effectively to give Tech a 15-6 victory and a series sweep over Duquesne.

Hicks (1-0, 6.75), who had struggled in his first two outings of the season, pitched well, allowing just one earned run on three hits while walking two and striking out one.

The story in this ball game was Coach Hall's decision swapping the starting positions freshmen Patrick Long and Jeff Ussery. Ussery, who had started at second base all year, played third base, and Long, who had played at third base all year, played second base.

Each committed an error at their new position.

Tues: WCU-10, GT-7

Tech looked to carry the momentum of a three-game winning streak into their mid-week clash with the Catamounts of Western Carolina. However, as the old baseball saying goes, "Momentum is only as good as your next starting pitcher", and Eddie Burns (0-1, 4.35), struggled for the Jackets.

Burns allowed seven runs on eight hits in four innings of work. The defense did not help him either, as the Jackets committed two errors behind Burns, allowing four unearned runs to score.

Michael Hutts, Zach Von Tersch and Brad Rulon came on in relief to try to keep Tech in the ball game, but the mountain was too high to climb as Tech fell 10-7.

The Jackets scored six runs in the eighth to cut a 10-1 deficit to just three runs. Representing the tying run in the bottom of the sixth inning, Murton sent a Greg Holland offering a long way to right field. However, it fell into the glove of right fielder Steven Strausbaugh to end the Tech threat.

Wed: Atlanta- 5, GT-0

On Wednesday afternoon, the team traveled to Florida to play the Atlanta Braves in an exhibition game. Ryan Langerhahn hit a solo home run to lead off the third inning and score the first run of the game. The Braves would go on to beat the Jackets 5-0.

Wally Crancer and Brad Feltes were the only Jackets to get hits off the Braves pitchers.

The Jackets, fresh off a trip from Lake Buena Vista, Fla. to play against the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex, will open up a six-game home stand as they host Rutgers for a three-game series at Russ Chandler Stadium today with the first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. on Friday. Saturday's game will get underway at 1 p.m. and Sunday's action will start at 12 noon.