One bad inning led to the end of the 2009 Elon Phoenix baseball season as the 13th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets scored seven second inning runs on their way to an 8-4 victory in an elimination game of the Atlanta Regional on Sunday afternoon. Elon ends its season with a 41-18 record while Tech improved to 37-18-1.
Harry Austin led off the game with a walk and stole second with one out. A deep fly out to right-center allowed him to tag and go to third. After Pat Irvine walked and stole second, Bennett Davis lined a single to right to score both runners as the Phoenix claimed an early 2-0 advantage.
Georgia Tech scored seven runs on five hits and four walks in the second. Jason Haniger drew a one-out walk for Tech before Matt Skole lined a double to right-center, putting two aboard. Derek Dietrich walked on four straight pitches to load the bases. Haniger raced home with the first run for Georgia Tech on Chris House’s line drive single to left. Skole came in with the tying run on a balk. Jason Garofalo’s chopper just over the head of the Elon pitcher went for a single, scoring Dietrich with the go-ahead run. Jeff Rowland followed with a walk to reload the bags. Burnette picked up a RBI when he walked to force in House as the lead grew to 4-2. Murton then lined a single to center to score Garofalo. The sixth run of the frame scored when Tony Plagman lined a single to left. Another run came in when Haniger reached on a fielder’s choice that erased Plagman at second.
The Phoenix looked to move closer in the third. Cory Harrilchak walked with one out before two wild pitches moved him to third. Chase Austin then walked before Irvine lifted a sac fly to left-center to plate Harrilchak. Davis then reached on an error before Mike Melillo walked to load the bases for Justin Hilt. The Phoenix could not capitalize on the situation, however, as Hilt struck out swinging on a 2-2 pitch.
Dallas Tarleton started the top of the fourth with a walk before Neal Pritchard singled. Harrilchak drew a one-out walk to load the bases before Chase Austin lined a ball off the pitcher who recovered and threw home for the force on Tarleton. Elon left them loaded again when Irvine took a called third strike to end the inning.
For the fourth time in the first five innings Elon put its lead-off man aboard as Davis singled through the left side. Melillo followed that with a single of his own. Hilt fanned on a 3-2 pitch and Melillo was caught stealing second, but Davis advanced to third. Tarleton’s swinging bunt single scored Davis as the Phoenix edged closer at 7-4.
After Jared Kernodle had retired nine consecutive Yellow Jacket hitters, Skole sent his 17th homer over the wall in right with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.