Tech (43-16) advanced to face N.C. State (42-15) in the championship game of the tournament with the opportunity to win its first ACC title since 2000 and sixth in its history. The Jackets, who defeated North Carolina, 10-6, earlier Sunday, will play their third game of the day, a first in Tech baseball history.
The Seminoles (50-10-1) led 7-4 entering the ninth and sent closer Daniel Hodges, who had a 5-0 record with 12 saves coming in, to the mound. But Tech came up with five hits to take advantage of a key FSU error and scored six times.
Tyler Greene and Eric Patterson singled, and Steven Blackwood walked to load the bases with one out, setting up the key play of the frame. Matt Murton hit a potential double-play grounder to FSU shortstop Stephen Drew, but the sophomore made a poor toss to second baseman Bryan Zech, leaving all three runners safe as Greene scored to make the score 7-5. Clifton Remole grounded to first base to drive in Patterson and bring Tech within a run at 7-6.
Nickeas sent Hodges' next pitch into the left field corner to score Blackwood and Murton and give the Jackets an 8-7 lead. Jeremy Slayden, hitting .429 in the tournament, tripled to right-center field to score Nickeas, and scored on Micah Owings' single to make the score 10-7.
Brian Burks (5-1) earned the win after giving up just two hits over the final 5-2/3 innings for the win, but he nearly didn't get the chance to close out the game. He entered the game in the fourth inning, but gave up a two-run homer to Drew in a three-run FSU sixth that put the Seminoles ahead 7-2.
Burks retired the last 10 FSU batters in order, however, giving the Jackets a chance to come back for the second time Sunday. Tech, which had trailed 5-0 against the Tar Heels before winning, scored twice in the seventh to get within striking distance of the Seminoles at 7-4.
2003 GEORGIA TECH BASEBALL
GEORGIA TECH vs. FLORIDA STATE
May 25, 2003 at Salem, Va. (Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium)
GEORGIA TECH 10 (43-16) FLORIDA STATE 7 (50-10-1)
Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI
--------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Eric Patterson 2b.......... 5 2 2 1 Stephen Drew ss............ 4 2 1 2
Steven Blackwood cf........ 4 1 0 0 Tony McQuade cf............ 4 0 0 0
Matt Murton lf............. 4 1 1 2 Tony Richie c.............. 4 0 0 1
Clifton Remole 1b.......... 3 0 0 1 Blake Balkcom rf........... 4 0 1 0
Mike Nickeas dh/c.......... 5 1 3 2 Jerrod Brown 1b............ 4 1 1 0
Jeremy Slayden rf.......... 5 1 1 1 Chris Hart 3b.............. 4 2 2 1
Micah Owings 3b............ 5 1 3 1 Daniel Wardell lf.......... 3 2 1 0
Davis Myers pr/3b......... 0 0 0 0 Bryan Zech 2b.............. 2 0 1 0
Tyler Greene ss............ 4 3 2 1 Kevin Richmond dh.......... 4 0 0 2
Andy Hawranick c........... 3 0 0 0 Glen Simon p............... 0 0 0 0
Cameron Lane ph........... 1 0 0 0 Hunter Jones p............ 0 0 0 0
Andrew Kown p.............. 0 0 0 0 Kevin Lynch p............. 0 0 0 0
Brian Burks p............. 0 0 0 0 Daniel Hodges p........... 0 0 0 0
Totals..................... 39 10 12 9 Totals..................... 33 7 7 6
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
GEORGIA TECH........ 000 020 206 - 10 12 2
FLORIDA STATE....... 100 303 000 - 7 7 2
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E - Patterson, E(11); Remole, C.(3); Drew(18); McQuade(1). DP - GEORGIA TECH 1;
FLORIDA ST 1. LOB - GEORGIA TECH 7; FLORIDA ST 4. 2B - Murton, M.(10); Nickeas,
M.(15); Owings, M.(10); Greene, T.(8). 3B - Slayden, J.(4). HR - Drew(9).
HBP - Wardell. SH - Zech(6). SB - Greene, T.(18); McQuade(23). CS - McQuade(6).
GEORGIA TECH IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew Kown ............... 3.1 5 4 3 3 2 1 1 0 0 14 17 1 5 66
Brian Burks W,5-1......... 5.2 2 3 3 0 3 0 0 1 0 19 21 3 11 75
FLORIDA STATE IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF FO GO NP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glen Simon ................ 4.0 4 2 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 15 17 9 2 62
Hunter Jones .............. 3.0 3 2 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 12 14 5 1 61
Kevin Lynch ............... 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 0 15
Daniel Hodges L,5-1....... 1.0 5 6 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 9 10 0 1 36
Simon faced 2 batters in the 5th.
WP - Kown, A.(5); Simon(3). HBP - by Burks, B. (Wardell). BK - Kown, A.(1); Hodges(2).
PB - Hawranick, A(8). Inherited runners/scored: Jones 1/1. Pitches/strikes: Kown, A.
66/37; Burks, B. 75/45; Simon 62/35; Jones 61/36; K. Lynch 15/11; Hodges 36/24.
Strikeouts - Blackwood, S; Nickeas, M.; Slayden, J.; Greene, T.; Hawranick, A; Lane,
C.; McQuade 3; Richie; Wardell. Walks - Blackwood, S; Murton, M.; Remole, C. 2;
Greene, T.; Drew; McQuade; Zech.
Umpires - HP: Scott Graham 1B: David Savage 2B: Randy Harvey 3B: Jack Cox
Start: 1:16 pm Time: 3:07 Attendance: 2090