Sixth-ranked Yellow Jackets Take Doubleheader from Eagles
4/14/2010 12:01:00 AM | Softball
ATLANTA, Ga. - The sixth-ranked Georgia Tech softball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two to take the doubleheader sweep against the Eagles Tuesday (April 13) in Atlanta. Georgia Southern played with grit in game two, rebounding from a 14-2 in the first game, but the Yellow Jackets edged the Eagles 5-4. Senior shortstop Nina Iduate (Norcross, Ga.) led the Eagles at the plate, going 4-for-6 with two runs scored on the day, and Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) was 2-for-6 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored.
Christy Jones singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh. A sacrifice bunt, sandwiched between a pair of intentional walks, loaded the bases with one out for the Yellow Jackets (37-6). Hope Rush delivered with a game-winning RBI-single, after Kristine Priebe was hit by a pitch.
The Eagles fell to 20-19 on the season after the heartbreaking loss.
The Yellow Jackets took the early lead in the second game, when Jen Yee scored on Kelsi Weseman's RBI-double in the bottom of the third inning. The Eagles answered with three in the top of the fourth for their first lead of the day, 3-1.
Senior Jenny Side (Loganville, Ga.) started the rally, reaching on catcher's interference with one out. Senior first baseman Sam Russo (Snellvilla, Ga.) singled, and Andrea Tarashuk (Flemington, N.J.) reached on a fielder's choice. Side was out at third, but Caitlin Jordan tried to turn the double-play and threw the ball to the fence, giving the Eagles runners at second and third with two outs.
Sophomore Hanna Ennis (Snellville, Ga.) came through with a two-out, two-RBI double, and sophomore Mackenzie Williams (Baxley, Ga.) hit an RBI-single to give Georgia Southern a 3-1 lead. The Eagles added another run in the top of the fifth when Megen Smith (Springfield, Ga.) doubled off the wall in left-center, scoring Iduate from first.
Georgia Tech scored two in the bottom of the fifth on a two-RBI single by Weseman, cutting the lead to 4-3.
Junior Brianna Streetmon (14-7) (Winder, Ga.) took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in 6 and one-third innings. Hope Rush (20-4) earned the win for Georgia Tech, allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts in three innings of relief. Kristen Adkins started for the Yellow Jackets, giving up three runs, all unearned.
Jessica Coan (11-1) pitched four split innings of perfect softball, striking out four Eagles to lead Georgia Tech to the win in game one.
The Yellow Jackets established the lead early, scoring early off seven hits in the bottom of the first inning. With an 11-0 advantage, Georgia Tech added two in the second, and Jen Yee hit a solo-home run in the bottom of the fourth to push the lead back to 12.
Iduate broke through with the Eagles first hit of the game in the top of the fourth inning, taking Rachel Glazebrook back up the middle. Two batters later, Smith took Glazebrook down the leftfield line for her 13th home run of the season, cutting the lead to 13-2 before Yee's shot in the bottom half of the inning.
The Eagles had an opportunity for more runs when a single by Side and a double off the centerfield wall by Russo gave the Eagles three straight hits, but Side was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Russo's double.
Smith took the loss in the circle, falling to 5-11 on the season. Glazebrook was charged with both Eagle runs, giving up four hits in one inning of work for the Yellow Jackets.
The Eagles will return to Southern Conference action when they travel to Birmingham, Ala., for a double-header against Samford on Saturday, April 17th with game times at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Bulldogs-Eagles series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. All times listed are Central time.
-GS-
