Georgia Tech's 15-game winning streak to open 2003 stands as the school's second best mark to start a season. The Yellow Jackets set a school record with a 16-0 start in 1987. Tech's current 15-game winning streak ties for the fourth longest streak in school history.
Making his second start of the season, Owings improved to 4-0 in four appearances in 2003. He held the Tigers to one run on five hits in six innings of work. He issued one walk and struck out a season-high seven batters. Jeff Watchko earned his third save of the season by recording the final four outs of the game, including working out of an eighth inning jam that saw the Tigers bring the tying run to the plate.
A solo home run from Greene, his fifth of the season, gave the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Murton blasted a two-run homer, his fourth, to make the score 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning. A solo home run from Owings, his fifth of the year, made the score 4-0 in the fifth.
Auburn cut the lead to 4-1 when Clete Thomas led off the sixth inning with a double and scored on a two-out RBI double from Bobby Huddleston. The Tigers closed to within 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Huddleston delivered another two-out RBI double to score Sean Gamble from first.
The Tigers mounted one final rally in the bottom of the ninth inning when Josh Bell belted a leadoff double to left center field. But Watchko retired the next three batters to carry the Yellow Jackets to the victory.
Auburn starter Arnold Hughey (3-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on four hits in five innings of work.
Georgia Tech will return to action this weekend when the Yellow Jackets host Kent State for a three-game series beginning on Friday at 4 p.m.
2003 GEORGIA TECH BASEBALL
GEORGIA TECH at AUBURN
March 11, 2003 at Auburn, Ala. (Plainsman Park)
GEORGIA TECH 4 (15-0) AUBURN 2 (16-4)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Eric Patterson 2b.......... 4 0 0 0 Clete Thomas rf............ 4 1 2 0
Tyler Greene ss............ 4 1 2 1 Sean Gamble lf............. 4 1 0 0
Jeremy Slayden rf.......... 4 1 1 0 Javon Moran cf............. 4 0 1 0
Matt Murton lf............. 4 1 1 2 Bobby Huddleston dh........ 4 0 2 2
Clifton Remole 1b.......... 4 0 1 0 Doug Vines pr............. 0 0 0 0
Mike Nickeas c............. 4 0 1 0 Karl Amonite 1b............ 3 0 0 0
Brandon Boggs cf........... 4 0 0 0 Josh Todd 1b.............. 0 0 0 0
Micah Owings p/dh.......... 3 1 1 1 Josh Bell c................ 4 0 1 0
Davis Myers 3b............. 3 0 0 0 Tug Hulett 2b.............. 4 0 2 0
Brian Burks p............. 0 0 0 0 Scott Schade 3b............ 4 0 0 0
Jeff Watchko p............ 0 0 0 0 Chuck Jeroloman ss......... 4 0 0 0
Arnold Hughey p............ 0 0 0 0
Levale Speigner p......... 0 0 0 0
Cory Dueitt p............. 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 34 4 7 4 Totals..................... 35 2 8 2
Score by Innings R H E
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GEORGIA TECH........ 100 210 000 - 4 7 1
AUBURN.............. 000 001 010 - 2 8 1
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E - Owings, M.(1); Schade(6). LOB - GEORGIA TECH 3; AUBURN 7. 2B - Thomas 2(8);
Moran(9); Huddleston 2(4); Bell(8). HR - Greene, T.(5); Murton, M.(4); Owings,
M.(5). SB - Hulett(1). CS - Greene, T.(3).
GEORGIA TECH IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
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Micah Owings W,4-0........ 6.0 5 1 1 1 7 0 1 0 0 23 24 7 4 91
Brian Burks ............... 1.2 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 7 2 2 35
Jeff Watchko S,3.......... 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 5 2 0 17
AUBURN IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
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Arnold Hughey L,3-1....... 5.0 4 4 4 0 6 0 0 0 0 19 19 3 6 79
Levale Speigner ........... 2.0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 7 7 1 3 29
Cory Dueitt ............... 2.0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 8 8 0 3 30
BK - Owings, M.(2). Inherited runners/scored: Watchko, J. 1/0.
Pitches/strikes: Owings, M. 91/61; Burks, B. 35/23; Watchko, J. 17/12; Hughey 79/56;
Speigner, L. 29/19; Dueitt 30/18.
Strikeouts - Greene, T.; Slayden, J.; Murton, M.; Nickeas, M.; Boggs, B. 4; Owings,
M.; Myers, D.; Thomas 2; Huddleston; Amonite; Bell; Hulett; Schade 2; Jeroloman 2.
Walks - Amonite.
Umpires - HP: Ken Couch 1B: Steve Manders 3B: Eric Johanssen
Start: 5:59 pm Time: 2:34 Attendance: 4409