March 9, 2003
SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Junior All-American Tara Knudsen homered and scored three runs, and sophomore ace Jessica Sallinger fanned 11 batters, as the Georgia Tech softball team (14-11) closed out the National Invitational Softball Tournament Sunday with a 6-0 victory over Virginia Tech (3-10) at the Twin Lakes Sports Complex. The Jackets posted a 2-3 record in the three-day event.
Tech scored early and often, as the Jackets two runs in three of their first four times at bat. Knudsen’s homer in the fourth extended the Yellow Jacket lead to 5-0. She also walked in the first and singled in the third, scoring all three times on base. Knudsen’s three runs equaled her career single-game high. She is tied for the team lead with three home runs this season.
The six-run cushion would be plenty for Sallinger, who improved to 7-7 with the victory, her fourth shutout of the season. She allowed five hits and two walks in seven innings. For her efforts this weekend, Sallinger was named to the NIST all-tournament team. She had a 1-2 record but posted a 0.70 earned run average and struck out 25 batters in 20 innings of work. Sallinger tossed a one-hitter against No. 8 Cal Saturday.
Senior designated player Lindsay Wood got the Jackets on the board in the first with a two-run single through the right side. Senior second baseman Felicia Coursey opened the game with a triple through the right side. She had a sure single turn into the triple when the ball took a bad hop on the lip of the outfield and carried to the fence. Knudsen then drew a walk and moved up the second on a wild pitch. Wood’s hit, which also took a bad hop past the Hokie second baseman, scored both Coursey and Knudsen, giving Wood a team-best 15 runs batted in and Tech a two-run advantage.
The Hokies threatened to get back in the game with runners on second and third in the top of the third, but as she did numerous times over the weekend, Sallinger worked out of the jam. She struck out Virginia Tech’s Kelly Brown and got Shanel Garofalo to foul out to third.
Georgia Tech picked up two more in the third to give Sallinger a four-run cushion. After singles by Knudsen and first baseman Katie Donovan and a walk to Wood loaded the bases, catcher Tasha Waugh hit a line drive to center that was dropped by Brown. Both Knudsen and Wood came home on the play, extending the lead to 4-0.
The Jackets increased their advantage to 6-0 in the fourth on Knudsen’s homer, an opposite field shot to right, and a run-scoring single by freshman third baseman Lauren Schlechte. Her hit scored pinch runner Sara Wissmann, who stole second to move into scoring position.
Knudsen and Coursey each had two hits on the day, as Tech tallied nine base hits as a team. Hokie catcher Meghan Evans had two hits, and Rachel Pacheco took the loss for Virginia Tech. She allowed six runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks in 3.2 innings pitched.
The Jackets return to action Wednesday for a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Georgia State. Tech split a pair of games with the Panthers at the recent Georgia State Invitational.
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