Tech sweeps Georgia in baseball

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mark Pope struck out nine, and Matt Skole had two RBIs to lead Georgia Tech to a 6-4 win over Georgia on Tuesday at Turner Field.

It was the Yellow Jackets' first sweep of their rivals since 1994, coach Danny Hall's first on the Flats.

"We got some key two-out hits which you need to have to have a good season and to some some games sometimes," Hall said.

The Jackets won the first game 6-5 in Atlanta on March 6 and dominated 25-6 in the second game in Athens on April 14. The Bulldogs lead the overall series, 196-152-2.

"We've had our way in this series for a long time and it been good," Georgia coach David Perno said. "They've got a good team. They're tough."

Tech figured to once again feast on Georgia's pitching, with entered the game with a 8.52 ERA and had allowed 86 runs in their past eight games.

But for seven innings, two pitchers shut down Tech, which entered the game hitting .338.

And then things reverted to form for both teams in the eighth inning.

Jeff Rowland doubled to right-center off reliever Justin Earls, and Derek Dietrich followed with a line drive that fooled center fielder Zach Cone and turned into a single. Tony Plagman's sacrifice fly scored Rowland and cut Georgia's lead to 2-1.

Cole Leonida followed with a line drive up the middle off Jeff Walters to put runners on first and second. Matt Skole, the next batter, gave Tech a 3-2 lead with a line drive to right field that a diving Peter Verdin just missed.

Burnette hit another line drive that fooled Cone and scored Skole to increase Tech's lead to 4-2. Two walks later, Evan Martin laced a two-RBI double down the first-base line to give Tech a 6-2 lead.

"We were real close, just a couple of inches, on those two hits in the outfield," Perno said.

Georgia cut the lead to 6-4 in the eighth on a two-RBI double by pinch-hitter Brett DeLoach off Tech closer Andrew Robinson.

The Bulldogs broke up a no-hitter by Mark Pope and took a 2-0 lead in the sixth on four infield singles and one mental miscue.

Todd Hankins led off with a bunt single up the third-base line. Johnathan Taylor followed with a single, and Verdin put down a bunt to load the bases.

Levi Hyams followed with a bounding hopper into the second-base hole that scored Hankins to give Georgia a 1-0 lead. It also kept the bases loaded because Pope failed to cover first on the play.

Two outs later, Robert Shipman smoked a line drive that ricocheted off Pope into no-man's land in the infield to nudge the lead to 2-0. Pope bounced back to strike out Chase Davidson looking to end the inning.

"To get out of there with just two runs was a good job by Pope," Hall said.

Tech tried to answer in the sixth and seventh innings, putting runners at first and second with one out, but were unable to capitalize.

The Bulldogs threatened in the fifth when Kyle Farmer reached on a throwing error by Skole at third base. Shipman walked and a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third. But Pope struck out Davidson looking and Carson Schilling swinging to end the threat and preserve the no-hitter.

Pope (7-0) picked up the win, pitching seven innings and allowing two earned runs. He struck out nine. Walters (1-5) took the loss.

Tech will take its ACC-best 16-5 record into a cross-divisional series at N.C. State that starts Friday. Georgia will host Western Carolina at 5 p.m. before a three-game weekend series at Vanderbilt that starts Friday.