Tech takes two from Scarlet Knights
By Jamie Howell / Student Publications
Patrick Long slides into base in a game against Rutgers. Long had five hits and drove in five runs in the series against the Scarlet Knights. He also recorded 11 assists while playing at the third base position.
No. 21 Tech (8-6) won two of three games this weekend against the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers (5-4).
Friday: GT-18, Rutgers 12
In the first game of the series, the Tech batters flexed their muscles, launching three home runs to power their way to an 18-12 victory.
Junior Brad Feltes, making just his second start of the season, hit a grand slam, his first home run of the season. The homer keyed a five-run second inning. Later, freshman Patrick Long hit his first career bomb, also a grand slam, sparking another five-run inning and giving Tech an early 11-3 lead.
All seemed to be smooth sailing until the seventh inning. With the Jackets cruising with a 12-4 lead, the Rutgers bats suddenly erupted when freshman Zach Von Tersch entered the game to pitch for Tech. Making just his fourth career appearance, Von Tersch allowed four runs on two hits, including a home run, in just two-thirds of an inning of work.
Rutgers went on to hit two home runs in the inning, a solo shot off of Von Tersch and a grand slam off of junior Brad Rulon, scoring seven runs in the top of the seventh to tighten the score at 12-11.
However, Luke Murton responded for the Jackets in the bottom of the seventh inning with a three-run home run and added three more runs in the eighth to pull away and eventually get the 18-12 victory.
"I just went up there and took a good swing and fortunately the ball went over the fence," Murton said.
Sophomore starter David Duncan picked up the win for Tech by pitching six solid innings and allowing four runs on eight hits while walking five and striking out seven batters, tying a career-high.
Tim Ladd picked up the save in relief, allowing just one unearned run on two hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.
Both sides were unable to consistently find the strike zone as the two teams combined to walk 21 batters-Tech with 11 and Rutgers with 10.
"Tonight it wasn't as bad because they got behind in the count and you were able to sit on the pitch that you wanted," Murton said. "They were not wild enough to where it bothered us. It just allowed us to get into a position to put a good swing on the ball."
Saturday: GT-10, Rutgers-8
It did not start out as well on Saturday as starter Chris Hicks allowed five runs on seven hits in the first 1 2/3 innings to put the Jackets in a deep hole.
Tech was able to pull to 5-4 with a run in the first and three more in the second, and then added three runs in the fourth inning to assume a 7-5 lead.
Rutgers would not go down without a fight, however, evening the score at 7-7 with a Ryan Hill home run, his first of the game, and an RBI single.
With two outs in the fifth, Tech loaded the bases with three consecutive walks and Michael Fisher was hit by a 3-0 pitch to give the Jackets the lead for good. Tech added one more run in the frame on another walk to assume a 9-7 lead.
Tech would extend the lead to three on a RBI single by freshman Tony Plagman. Hill hit his second home run of the game to make the score 10-8.
Danny Payne and Matt Wieters came on for Tech to close the door in the eighth and ninth innings respectively to secure a 10-8 win for the Jackets.
Red-shirt junior John Goodman made his first appearance of the season, throwing two innings and allowing just one run on two hits while striking out a pair.
Goodman missed the entire 2005 season due to Tommy John elbow surgery and returned in 2006 to pitch only 14 2/3 innings before injuring his knee and missing all of summer and fall practice
"Overall it feels pretty good just to be back in action," Goodman said. "I have a few things to work on and some things to do to get back to where I was. I have to get back into my routine and rhythm."
Sunday: Rutgers-9, GT-5
The final game of the three game set was a tight one down to the end.
Each team exchanged a run in the second inning on an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly. Rutgers assumed a 2-1 lead after their half of the third on three consecutive singles.
Tech scratched across three runs in their half of the third on two RBI singles and a fielder's choice to take a 4-2 lead.
A failed pickoff attempt by Tech starting pitcher Ryan Turner allowed a Rutgers run to cut the lead to 4-3.
The Jackets were able to maintain that lead until the seventh inning when Rutgers rallied to score three runs, all with two outs.
Turner allowed two runners to reach base with two outs in the top of the seventh inning before he was pulled.
Tech Head Coach Danny Hall called on his bullpen to get the final out of the seventh, but reliever Eddie Burns was unable to do so. Burns faced one hitter and gave up another RBI single to tie the game at four.
After just one batter, lefthander Tim Ladd was summoned from the bullpen to try to retire the lefty Tim Querns. Ladd was unsuccessful in his venture, allowing a two-RBI single to give Rutgers a 6-4 lead.
Then Rulon was called upon to stop the bleeding for Tech and was able to do so. Things looked promising in the bottom of the seventh for the Jackets as Payne and Fisher led off with back-to-back doubles to cut the lead in half at 6-5, but the Jackets would not score again.
Querns added a two-run home run and Tom Edwards singled off Tech reliever Wieters to create the final score of 9-5 in favor of the Scarlet Knights.
Turner (1-2, 4.76) got the loss for Tech while Rutgers' starter Steve Healing picked up the victory and Sean Spicer earned his first save of the year.
The Jackets return to Russ Chandler Stadium this afternoon to face the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, also known as Virginia Tech, at 4 p.m. The series continues on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Tech will also travel across town to Kennesaw when they take on the Fighting Owls of Kennesaw State this Wednesday for a midweek affair at 4 p.m.
