The Yellow Jackets scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it wasn't enough as the Jackets dropped their first game in the last four contests. Greg Holland entered in the eighth inning to halt Tech's comeback bid.
The Yellow Jacket offense was led by Danny Payne, who went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, while Michael Fisher, Matt Wieters and Patrick Long added two hits each.
The Catamounts (5-2) scored at least one run in each of the first five innings before freshman reliever Zach Von Tersch held the visitors off the scoreboard in the sixth.
With a solo home run in the first inning, Jonathan Greene started the Western Carolina offense, before a pair of RBI doubles, an RBI single and an error by the Jackets gave the Catamounts a 5-0 lead at the end of two innings.
Western Carolina added a run in the third on a fielder's choice and another in the fourth inning when Greene hit a two-out double to center field. A solo home run by Blake Murphy and an RBI single by Brent Greer in the fifth inning pushed the score to 9-0 before the Yellow Jackets scored a run in the bottom of the frame.
With two outs, Payne singled and stole second base before scoring on an RBI single by Fisher. A single by Wieters put runners on first and second, but reliever Chris Masters struck out Wally Crancer to end the Yellow Jackets' threat.
After Western Carolina tacked on a run in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI single by Donnie Wilson, the Jackets scored six runs in the bottom of the frame to pull within three runs, 10-7. Crancer reached base on an error by third baseman Nick Liles to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Luke Murton walked, an RBI single by Long plated Crancer before a walk issued to Nick Scherer loaded the bases for Brad Feltes. The Yellow Jacket third baseman then drove in Murton with a single to left field before Payne plated Scherer and Long with a single through the left side of the infield. A walk by Fisher loaded the bases for Wieters, who delivered an 0-2 pitch through the right side of the infield to score Feltes, before an RBI groundout by Crancer scored Payne for the final run of the inning.
Chris Masters (1-0) earned the win in relief of Johnson, tossing 2.1 hitless and scoring innings while striking out four Yellow Jackets. Holland pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out two.
Georgia Tech starter Eddie Burns (0-1) took the loss, giving up seven runs, only three of which were earned, on eight hits while striking out one in four innings of work.
The Yellow Jackets will hit the road for an exhibition game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. at their spring training facility in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. before returning to Atlanta for a three-game series with Rutgers beginning Friday at 4 p.m. Saturday's game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. while the game Sunday has been moved to 12 p.m.
2007 GEORGIA TECH BASEBALL
Western Carolina at #14 Georgia Tech
Feb. 27, 2007 at Atlanta, Ga. (Russ Chandler Stadium)
Western Carolina 10 (5-2)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB Avg.
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Barrett Shaft cf......... 4 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 1 .407
Donnie Wilson lf......... 5 1 3 2 0 1 3 0 0 .556
Jonathan Greene c........ 3 1 3 2 1 0 11 1 0 .440
Steven Strausbaugh rf.... 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 .226
Blake Murphy dh.......... 5 3 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 .417
Nick Liles 3b............ 4 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 .276
Kenny Smith 2b........... 5 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 .357
John Ingram 1b........... 4 3 3 1 0 0 5 1 0 .370
Brent Greer ss........... 4 0 2 1 0 1 1 2 0 .167
Tyler Johnson p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 -
Chris Masters p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Ryne Nelson p........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Greg Holland p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Totals................... 39 10 15 10 2 3 27 7 6
Georgia Tech 7 (6-5)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB Avg.
------------------------------------------------------------
Danny Payne cf........... 5 2 3 2 0 0 3 0 0 .439
Michael Fisher ss........ 4 0 2 1 1 1 3 6 0 .354
Matt Wieters dh.......... 5 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 .333
Wally Crancer rf......... 4 1 0 1 1 1 4 0 3 .469
Luke Murton 1b........... 4 1 0 0 1 1 10 1 2 .289
Patrick Long 3b/2b....... 4 1 2 1 1 1 4 4 0 .278
Tony Plagman lf.......... 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 .320
Chris House lf.......... 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 .217
Jason Haniger c.......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 1 1 .125
Nick Scherer ph/c....... 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -
Curtis Dupart ph........ 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .333
Jeff Ussery 2b........... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 .200
Jason Garofalo ph/2b.... 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 -
Brad Feltes 3b.......... 3 1 1 1 0 2 0 0 3 .111
Eddie Burns p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Michael Hutts p......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Zach Von Tersch p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Brad Rulon p............ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -
Totals................... 38 7 11 7 7 12 27 14 11
Score by Innings R H E
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Western Carolina.... 141 120 010 - 10 15 1
Georgia Tech........ 000 010 060 - 7 11 2
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E - Liles(3); Fisher, M.(3); Ussery, J.(4). DP - WCU 1; Georgia Tech 4.
LOB - WCU 6; Georgia Tech 11. 2B - Shaft(2); Wilson, D.(2); Greene(3);
Ingram 2(3); Payne, D.(4); Fisher, M.(3). 3B - Murphy(1). HR - Greene(3);
Murphy(2). HBP - Shaft; Greene. SB - Payne, D.(4); Long, P.(2); House, C.(1).
CS - Greene(2).
Western Carolina IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP ERA
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Tyler Johnson....... 4.2 7 1 1 1 6 20 21 92 3.86
Chris Masters....... 2.1 0 0 0 2 4 7 9 39 3.00
Ryne Nelson......... 0.1 2 5 4 2 0 4 6 34 12.00
Greg Holland........ 1.2 2 1 1 2 2 7 9 41 1.93
Georgia Tech IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP ERA
--------------------------------------------------------
Eddie Burns......... 4.0 8 7 3 0 1 20 22 75 4.35
Michael Hutts....... 1.0 3 2 2 0 0 6 6 24 6.35
Zach Von Tersch..... 2.0 1 0 0 1 2 5 6 24 10.80
Brad Rulon.......... 2.0 3 1 1 1 0 8 9 34 5.59
Win - Masters (1-0). Loss - Burns, E. (0-1). Save - None.
WP - Nelson(2); Rulon, B.(1). HBP - by Burns 2 (Shaft, Greene).
Inherited runners/scored: Masters 2/0; Holland 3/3. Pitches/strikes: Johnson
92/62; Masters 39/20; Nelson 34/17; Holland 41/24; Burns, E. 75/46; Hutts, M.
24/16; Von Tersch 24/14; Rulon, B. 34/21.
Umpires - HP: Steve Manders 1B: Ken Couch 3B: Tony Thompson
Start: 1:02 pm Time: 2:58 Attendance: 991