AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMiami eliminates Tech 15-12
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It has been two wild days of baseball for Georgia Tech. On Tuesday, the Yellow Jackets beat N.C. State with two amazing comebacks — a five-run eighth to take the lead, and then a two-runs-on-no-hits-and-three-errors ninth to re-take the lead.
Tonight, Tech gets the tying run on a wild pitch and the go-ahead run on a throwing error on the same play in the eighth inning, then sees Miami win thanks to a three-run homer in a four-run ninth.
That eliminates Tech from the tournament. Miami will finish no worse than 2-1 in the four-team round-robin, and Tech will finish no better than 2-1, and Miami would have the head-to-head tie-breaker. In the event three teams finish 2-1, the tie-breaker is best regular-season conference record, and Miami would win that tie-breaker.
If N.C. State loses to Clemson later tonight, Miami clinches. N.C. State could finish no better than 1-2, Miami could finish no worse than 2-1, and Miami would have the head-to-head tie-breaker over Saturday’s Clemson-Georgia Tech winner, which would finish 2-1.
Tech’s loss tonight also eliminated Clemson.
Permalink | Comments (25) | Post your comment | Categories: baseball
Comments
By Observer
May 22, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
Well, we got the win over Miami. Now on to the next challenge. One game at a time guys.
By Mike
May 22, 2008 8:07 AM | Link to this
Miami is a very good team. However, even if Tech loses tonight, I believe if they beat Clemson on Saturday, they should host a first round Regional.
By FLJacket
May 22, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this
So basically… Tech has to win tonight, and we’re all Wolfpack fans for a day.
Go Jackets!… and Wolfpack
By Nat Dorsey
May 22, 2008 11:20 AM | Link to this
all this math must be very hard for Georgia fans to understand. Does the SEC toruney work this way? If so, the AJC may have to dumb down the explanation so SEC fans can follow….
By jackets
May 22, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this
Go Tech and Go Pack
By GayTech
May 22, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this
Ok Nat, they are talking about winning something so I guess they need to provide you guys schematics for winning since Tech knows nothing about that subject.
By Nat Dorsey
May 22, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this
Hey there….last time I checked Tech won the series 2 to 1 against UGA.
Even Pulpwood Smith could do the math on that one.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this
FLJacket
You won’t want to be a Wolfpack fan if Tech loses to Miami. Here’s the reason: Tech and N.C. State both are in contention to host a regional. Tech’s victory on Wednesday and its better RPI give it an edge, though N.C. State finished one spot higher in the ACC standings. If N.C. State wins tonight and beats Miami on Saturday, it strengthens its case. Of course, this isn’t necessarily a zero sum game; both Tech and N.C. State might host regionals. Still, it’s something to think about.
By Old Grad
May 22, 2008 3:59 PM | Link to this
I don’t believe it!!! A Tech guy started the BS on this one.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 4:54 PM | Link to this
We’re about 10 minutes away from the first pitch. Tech is the home team, because it was the visitor yesterday against N.C. State and Miami was the home team against Clemson. I’m not sure how that will work on Saturday, when Tech and Clemson will each have been road and home; either Tech gets to be the home team as a result of its higher seed, or they’ll flip for it.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 5:09 PM | Link to this
Well, that didn’t take very long. Blake Tekotte, the game’s leadoff hitter, homered off Georgia Tech’s David Duncan on a 2-1 pitch.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 5:47 PM | Link to this
Duncan had settled for a couple of innings, but all of the sudden he got in big trouble with two outs in the third. A Texas Leaguer by Tekotte, a triple by Jemile Weeks and a monster home run (more than 400 feet) by Yonder Alonso make it 4-0.
Meanwhile, despite two singles, Miami starter Eric Erickson has faced the minimum through two innings. Charlie Blackmon got doubled off first because of a line drive, and Derek Dietrich was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 6:04 PM | Link to this
Tech ties the game in the bottom of the third with some small ball and an off-the-glove double. It went like this: Infield single for Chris House, Patrick Long hit by pitch, Jason Haniger bunt single. The first ball hit out of the infield was Charlie Blackmon’s looped two-RBI single into left. After Jay Dantzler’s sacrifice, Luke Murton popped out but Derek Dietrich hit a deep fly to right that Dennis Raben misplayed. The ball fell off Raben’s glove for a two-run double.
By GT76
May 22, 2008 6:07 PM | Link to this
Old Grad, how do you know it was a tech guy? I’m more than a little suspect.
I will remind everyone that I was one who posted a couple of weeks ago that UGA was overrated in baseball and that Tech would be making a move up the rankings.
Miami is in a class of it’s own this year. If we beat them we will definitely host a regional. FSU is as well. The SEC in general is overrated and has no teams that come close.
UGA will get one too but not because they are playing well right now.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 6:45 PM | Link to this
Tech takes a one-run lead, and misses an opportunity to make it bigger when Luke Murton grounds out to end the inning with the bases loaded.
Yonder Alonso hits another homer, and now Miami’s up.
It looks like one of those games where a one-run lead isn’t going to last either team for long.
By Fire Danny Hall
May 22, 2008 7:00 PM | Link to this
Mike, can you step into the dug out and see if Danny is awake. He must now be watching if he doesn’t realize that Duncan should have been taken out about three innings ago. Maybe he is saving the bullpen for another typical Danny Hall collapse in the regionals.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
Fire
I will ask him after the game. There were similar questions up in the press area.
IIRC, the bullpen wasn’t very effective against Miami during the regular season. And Tech used some of its bullpen yesterday against N.C. State. But you’re right that this would seem to be THE key game. Lose this, and you can’t win the tournament, at least if you’re Tech.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 7:15 PM | Link to this
Two more homers off Duncan in the sixth inning, back-to-back, made it five overall. Duncan gave up a career-high 10 runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Stat of the night: Nine of Miami’s 10 runs have scored with two outs.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 7:21 PM | Link to this
Tech shows it can hit back-to-back home runs, too, off different pitchers. Jeff Rowland hits a two-run blast just inside the right-field foul pole, and then Luke Murton homers to the power alley in left, and suddenly it’s a one-run game again.
By Language police
May 22, 2008 7:25 PM | Link to this
Good posting, people. See how respectable a Zeb-free blog can be?!
Now, let’s keep it clean.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 8:12 PM | Link to this
Bottom of the eighth. Miami brings in its closer after a leadoff single. Walk, infield single, and bases loaded for Murton, who goes to 0-2, then takes a ball, then gets hit in the chest to drive in a run. After Dietrich strikes out, wildness happens. Carlos Gutierrez throws a wild pitch, scoring the tying run, and catcher Yasman Grandal throws wild back to Gutierrez, allowing another run to score.
If Brad Rulon saves this one, the way he saved yesterday’s game against N.C. State, Tech will be 2-0 in two of the strangest games I’ve ever seen. Remember, tying and go-ahead runs in the last at-bat yesterday on three errors and no hits, then this.
By Mike Knobler
May 22, 2008 8:25 PM | Link to this
Wow, this has been two wacky days of baseball. Brad Rulon, who got the save yesterday against N.C. State, couldn’t do it tonight. Interesting decision by Tech, too. With one out and runners at second and third, Tech elected not to walk Dave DiNatale, which would have set up the double play. DiNatale hit a three-run home run.
Now, it’s 14-12 Miami, and still only one out in the top of the ninth.
By Fire Danny Hall
May 22, 2008 8:27 PM | Link to this
Danny Hall strikes again and leaves a closer in who can’t throw a pitch within five feet of the plate. Now we will be stuck in a regional in Athens and be out in two games again. We will have about ten playersdrafted again but Danny gets less out of his talent year after year than any other coach. It is lucky for him that people don’t pay attention to baseball like they do football or he would be playing golf with Chan Gailey. Of course, this is the guy who hired his old college buddy to be a pitching coach even though he had never coached at any level besides high school. I wonder why we can’t get anyone out this weekend now and wasted a season with one of our most talented starting rotations ever.
By 1276jacket
May 22, 2008 9:28 PM | Link to this
Hey Fire Danny Hall, Why don’t you go be a Cane fan this year if Tech is so bad. It’s pretty obvious you’ve got an issue with Danny Hall. Go take it up with him personally instead of griping behind a keyboard.
By the way how many times did Gailey have us ranked at the end of the season?
By Grover Salzer
May 22, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this
UM wins 15-12 in a wild game!