With the win, Georgia Tech clinched at least second place in the ACC regular season standings. The Yellow Jackets can win the regular season race with two more wins over Maryland. Virginia (18-6) has already completed its regular season schedule, and the Cavaliers stand in second place by percentage points.
Florida State (15-8) clinched third place on Friday with a win over Wake Forest and a North Carolina loss to NC State. North Carolina (13-10) and Clemson (13-10) will meet in the #4 vs. #5 seed game in the first round of the ACC Tournament, while NC State (11-11) is locked into sixth place. Duke (8-15) will finish the regular season seventh, while Maryland and Wake Forest (4-19) will meet in the #8 vs. #9 seed first round game on Tuesday night. All of these schools will conclude their regular seasons on Saturday.
Owings (8-2) won his sixth straight decision and improved to 4-0 in his last five starts. The right-hander worked seven innings and allowed two runs on six hits. He struck out six and did not issue a walk. Jordan Crews pitched the final two innings of the game and did not allow a run.
Robbins, Mike Trapani and Brandon Boggs each had two hits in the game.
The Yellow Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning without the aid of a hit. Eric Patterson drew a walk to lead off the game before stealing second base, his ACC-leading 41st steal of the year and his 26th consecutive stolen bases without being caught. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Patterson scored on Blackwood's RBI groundout.
Boggs walked, stole second base and scored on Robbins' two-out RBI single to give Tech a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Maryland's Will Frazier singled and scored on Kevin Hart's RBI double to make the score 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth. The Terrapins tied the score at 2-2 in the fifth with consecutive two-out doubles from Truan Mehl and Elliott Singletary.
Tech retook the lead, 4-2, with a pair of unearned runs in the sixth. After the first two hitters were quickly retired, Clifton Remole reached on an error by Maryland shortstop Elliott Singletary. Mike Nickeas followed with an RBI double and scored on Robbins' second two-out RBI single of the game.
The Yellow Jackets extended the lead to 5-2 in the seventh inning when Micah Owings drew a two-out walk and scored after consecutive infield singles from Boggs and Clifton Remole.
Tech broke the game open with four runs in the eighth, extending the lead to 9-2. The Yellow Jackets sent nine batters to the plate in the inning, highlighted by an RBI single from Owings and a pair of RBI from Patterson and Blackwood on fielder's choice ground balls.
A ninth inning solo home run from Trapani, his second of the year, provided the final 10-2 margin.
Maryland starter Ben Pfinsgraff (4-4) took the loss despite a solid effort. The right-hander worked 6.2 innings and allowed four runs, two of which were earned, while striking out six in his first start against an ACC opponent.
Hart led the Terrapins' offense with a perfect 4-for-4 night, including a two doubles.
Georgia Tech and Maryland will continue the three-game series at Ripken Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
2004 GEORGIA TECH BASEBALL
GEORGIA TECH at MARYLAND
May 21, 2004 at Aberdeen, Md. (Ripken Stadium)
GEORGIA TECH 10 (36-17,16-5 ACC) MARYLAND 2 (21-30,4-18 ACC)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Eric Patterson 2b.......... 5 2 0 1 Maropis, Matt dh........... 4 0 2 1
Tyler Greene ss............ 3 1 1 0 Buffone, Anthony 3b........ 4 0 0 0
Steven Blackwood lf........ 5 1 0 2 Frazier, Will lf........... 4 1 1 0
Micah Owings p/dh.......... 5 1 1 1 Hart, Kevin 1b............. 4 0 4 1
Brandon Boggs cf........... 4 1 2 0 Jarosinski, Brian cf....... 4 0 0 0
Clifton Remole rf.......... 5 1 1 1 Maxey, Jason c............. 4 0 0 0
Mike Nickeas c............. 4 1 1 1 Melvin, Dan 2b............. 4 0 0 0
Whit Robbins 1b............ 3 1 2 2 Mehl, Truan rf............. 4 0 0 0
Mike Trapani 3b............ 4 1 2 1 Singletary, Elliot ss...... 3 1 1 0
Jordan Crews p............ 0 0 0 0 Pfinsgraff, Ben p.......... 0 0 0 0
Overbey, Seth p........... 0 0 0 0
Andrews, Josh p........... 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 38 10 10 9 Totals..................... 35 2 8 2
Score by Innings R H E
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GEORGIA TECH........ 100 102 141 - 10 10 0
MARYLAND............ 000 110 000 - 2 8 4
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E - Hart(7); Melvin(18); Singletary(20); Overbey(4). DP - MARYLAND 1. LOB - GEORGIA
TECH 12; MARYLAND 6. 2B - Nickeas, M.(10); Maropis(12); Hart 2(10); Singletary(5).
HR - Trapani, M.(2). HBP - Greene, T. 2; Trapani, M.. SB - Patterson, E(41); Boggs, B.(11).
GEORGIA TECH IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
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Micah Owings W,8-2........ 7.0 6 2 2 0 6 0 0 0 0 27 27 10 5 108
Jordan Crews .............. 2.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 8 4 2 26
MARYLAND IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pfinsgraff, Ben L,4-4..... 6.2 4 4 2 4 6 1 1 2 0 24 30 8 5 117
Overbey, Seth ............. 0.2 3 4 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 8 0 2 31
Andrews, Josh ............. 1.2 3 2 2 2 1 2 0 0 0 9 11 3 1 38
WP - Pfinsgraff(4); Andrews 2(5). HBP - by Pfinsgraff (Greene, T.); by Pfinsgraff
(Trapani, M.); by Overbey (Greene, T.). BK - Pfinsgraff(2). Inherited runners/scored:
Andrews 2/2. Pitches/strikes: Owings, M. 108/73; Crews, J. 26/18; Pfinsgraff 117/64;
Overbey 31/17; Andrews 38/22.
Strikeouts - Patterson, E 2; Greene, T. 2; Boggs, B.; Nickeas, M.; Trapani, M.;
Maropis; Jarosinski; Maxey 2; Melvin; Singletary. Walks - Patterson, E; Greene, T.;
Blackwood, S; Owings, M.; Boggs, B.; Nickeas, M.; Robbins, W. 2.
Umpires - HP: Gerald Trexler 1B: Richie Tallent 3B: Tim Clougherty
Start: 7:03 pm Time: 3:01 Attendance: 2784