Romero (3-2) worked his second consecutive complete game after shutting out Houston 11-0 last weekend. The left-hander struck out a season-high 12 batters and issued just two walks in an 124 pitch effort. After Tech scored its only run in the third inning, Romero retired 16 of 20 batters to close out the game.
Tech starter Brian Burks (1-1) was tagged with the loss despite a solid effort. He allowed four runs, just one of which was earned, on seven hits in six innings.
The Yellow Jackets had a chance to strike first in the bottom of the second inning. A leadoff walk to Mike Nickeas and a double from Clifton Remole put runners at second and third bases with no outs. But Romero worked out of the jam by recording a strikeout, a lineout and a groundout to prevent the runners from scoring.
Tech had a similar situation in the bottom of the third inning, putting runners on second and third bases with no outs. Andy Hawranick led off the inning with a double, and Eric Patterson reached on a fielder's choice after laying down a sacrifice bunt and then stole second base. Jeremy Slayden drove in Hawranick and gave the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly.
Meanwhile, Burks held Fullerton's offense in check until the Titans mounted a threat in the top of the sixth inning and scored a pair of unearned runs on P.J. Pilittere's two-out, two-run single to take a 2-1 lead.
The Titans added five runs, three of which were unearned, on just two hits over the seventh and eighth innings to extend the lead to 7-1. Fullerton scored twice in the seventh on Clark Hardman's squeeze bunt and Sergio Pedroza's walk with the bases loaded. A sacrifice fly, error and wild pitch accounted for three more runs in the eighth inning.
The Yellow Jackets contributed to the Titans offensive effort by issuing seven walks and committing three costly errors. Offensively, Tech was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and hit into two double plays.
2004 GEORGIA TECH BASEBALL
#13 CAL STATE FULLERTON at #3 GEORGIA TECH
Feb 28, 2004 at Fullerton, Calif. (Goodwin Field)
CAL STATE FULLERTON 7 (7-8) GEORGIA TECH 1 (6-2)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Hardman, Clark cf.......... 3 1 2 2 Eric Patterson 2b.......... 3 0 0 0
Prettyman, Ronnie 3b....... 3 1 1 0 Tyler Greene ss............ 3 0 0 0
Suzuki, Kurt dh............ 2 0 1 0 Jeremy Slayden rf.......... 3 0 1 1
Pedroza, Sergio rf......... 4 0 1 1 Mike Nickeas c............. 2 0 1 0
Pilittere, P.J. c.......... 5 0 1 2 Clifton Remole lf/1b....... 4 0 1 0
Dorn, Danny lf............. 4 0 0 0 Wes Hodges 3b.............. 4 0 0 0
Pill, Brett 1b............. 3 1 0 0 Brandon Boggs cf........... 3 0 0 0
Davis, Blake ss............ 3 2 2 0 Micah Owings 1b............ 3 0 0 0
Carroll, Mark 2b........... 2 2 0 0 Steven Blackwood lf....... 0 0 0 0
Romero, Ricky p............ 0 0 0 0 Andy Hawranick dh.......... 3 1 1 0
Brian Burks p.............. 0 0 0 0
Ryan Turner p............. 0 0 0 0
Philip Perry p............ 0 0 0 0
Nick Wagner p............. 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 29 7 8 5 Totals..................... 28 1 4 1
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
CAL STATE FULLERTON. 000 002 230 - 7 8 0
GEORGIA TECH........ 001 000 000 - 1 4 3
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E - Greene, T.(3); Owings, M.(1); Burks, B.(1). DP - CSF 2; GEORGIA TECH 2.
LOB - CSF 8; GEORGIA TECH 5. 2B - Remole, C.(4); Hawranick, A(2). HBP - Greene, T..
SH - Hardman(2); Prettyman(2); Suzuki(3); Carroll(1); Patterson, E(1). SF - Hardman(1);
Slayden, J.(1). SB - Prettyman(4); Pilittere(1); Patterson, E(4). CS - Hardman(1).
CAL STATE FULLERTON IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Romero, Ricky W,3-2....... 9.0 4 1 1 2 12 2 0 1 0 28 33 5 8 124
GEORGIA TECH IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Burks L,1-1......... 6.0 7 4 1 2 4 0 0 0 0 22 27 6 6 93
Ryan Turner ............... 0.1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 5
Philip Perry .............. 1.1 1 3 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 9 2 1 37
Nick Wagner ............... 1.1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 4 2 1 24
WP - Romero 2(3); Wagner, N.(2). HBP - by Romero (Greene, T.). Inherited runners/scored:
Turner, R. 2/1; Perry, P. 2/1; Wagner, N. 2/1. Pitches/strikes: Romero 124/82; Burks, B.
93/56; Turner, R. 5/1; Perry, P. 37/15; Wagner, N. 24/14.
Strikeouts - Suzuki; Pedroza; Pilittere; Pill; Patterson, E 2; Greene, T.; Slayden,
J. 2; Remole, C.; Hodges, W. 2; Boggs, B.; Owings, M.; Hawranick, A 2.
Walks - Prettyman; Suzuki 2; Pedroza; Dorn; Pill; Davis; Carroll; Nickeas, M. 2.
Umpires - HP: Tony Norris 1B: Larry Randall 3B: Dave Gimby
Start: 7:17 pm Time: 3:03 Attendance: 2398