Feb. 23, 2018
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Georgia Tech softball (3-6) came away 1-1 on the first day of the Camel Stampede on Friday. Tech fell to Fairfield (2-4) 4-3 in the first game but bounced back to top Campbell (5-6) 6-2 to finish the day strong.
Head coach Aileen Morales says:
“It was good to see our team rebound from this morning’s loss with a team win. We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores step up in pressure situations, which is exciting for our future.”
Georgia Tech 3, Fairfield 4
Designated as the away team, Tech batted first. Hitting in the lead-off spot, freshman Breanna Roper knocked a double off the wall in left center. Junior Katie Krzus hit a single to left field, plating Roper and sophomore Rebecca Prairie, who reached on a walk to give Tech the 2-0 lead in the first.
After being held scoreless by senior Emily Anderson in the first, the Stags responded in the bottom of the second, hitting back-to-back doubles to tie the score at 2-2.
Neither team put another run on the board until the bottom of the fifth, Fairfield plated one off a throwing error on Anderson to take its first lead of the game at 3-2.
With the Jackets trailing 3-2 in the top of sixth and one out on the board, Krzus stepped up and hit a solo shot over the center field fence to tie the game at 3-3 with her second home run of the season. The Stags responded in the bottom of the inning, knocking one out over the left field fence.
The Jackets were unable to rally in the top of the seventh and fell, 4-3 with Anderson earning the loss. Krzus led the team on offense with three RBI off two hits.
Georgia Tech 6, Campbell 2
Tech bounced back in its second game of the tournament. Prairie started the Jackets off early on offense. The designated player sent a long ball over left center on her second pitch, giving Tech the 1-0 edge. It was Prairie’s second home run of the season.
Tech put two more runs on the board in the top of the fourth. Freshman Cameron Stanford singled to left field to reach base. Senior Kelsey Chisholm saw four balls to reach on a walk and move Stanford to second. Junior Kaylee Ellebracht hit one straight to the pitcher but an error by the Camels allowed Stanford to score, landing Chisholm at third and Ellebracht at second. With the 2-0 lead and two outs on the board, Prairie hit a single off the pitcher’s foot, plating Chisholm for the 3-0 lead.
Freshman Naomi Dickerson got the start in the circle for the Jackets. She pitched four scoreless innings, allowing the Camels to get on the board in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run home run. Sophomore Brooke Barfield came into the circle following the home run.
In the top of the seventh with two outs, Stanford doubled to left center, scoring Hooper from first who was hit by a pitch to reach base. With a 4-2 lead and Stanford on second, Chisholm tripled, plating Stanford to give Tech a 5-2 edge. Pinch hitting for Ellebracht,freshman Bianca Mora hit a single to left field, her first hit of the season, to score Chisholm for the final run for the Jackets with the score at 6-2.
Barfield kept the Camels scoreless in the bottom of the seventh. Krzus spun a double play to grab the final two outs of the game for the Jackets, sealing Dickerson’s win and Barfield’s save.
Up next:
The Jackets have a rematch with Fairfield on day two of the Camel Stampede at 10 a.m. before taking on La Salle at 12:30 p.m.
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