April 21, 2010
ATHENS, Ga. – A two-run triple off the bat of Brianna Hesson broke open a 3-3 game in the bottom of the fifth inning as the No. 12/10 Georgia Softball team (37-8) defeated No. 8/6 Georgia Tech (41-7), 6-3, Wednesday at the UGA Softball Stadium. The loss snaps Tech’s nine-game winning streak while it was UGA’s 12th straight win.
Georgia Tech got all of its runs on one swing of the bat by sophomore Jessica Sinclair as her three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning tied the game at three. Freshman Hope Rush (22-5) took the loss as she allowed three runs in three innings of relief. Rush gave up five hits, walked two and struck out one. Sophomore Jessica Coan started and pitched the first three innings giving up three runs on five hits and a walk.
Taylor Schlopy led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run off Coan putting UGA up 1-0. The Bulldogs added another run in the first inning on a RBI single by Alisa Goler.
UGA added another run in the second on a sac fly by Ashley Pauly. The inning could have been worse but Coan worked out of a jam.
The Jackets threatened for the first time in the third inning. After junior Christy Jones singled, UGA intentionally walked redshirt senior Jen Yee putting two on with two outs. UGA pitcher Erin Arevalo was able to get out of the jam, however, by getting sophomore Kate Kuzma to foul out.
After Coan got the Bulldogs out in order in the third inning, the Yellow Jackets rallied to tie the game in the fourth. With one out, junior Kristine Priebe walked and moved up a base when Rush singled up the middle. Sinclair stepped up and lined a 1-2 pitch off the scoreboard in left field to tie the game. It was her ninth home run of the season.
The inning was not over for Tech though. Sophomore Danielle Dike walked and later moved up when freshman pinch hitter Caitlin Jordan singled to left field. After Yee was intentionally walked for the second time, Arevalo got Kuzma to fly out to left field ending the threat.
Sophomore Kelsi Weseman walked to begin the fifth inning, but that would be the final base runner for the Yellow Jackets of the game as Arevalo retired the final nine batters and benefitted from three runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning,
In addition to Hesson’s two-run triple, Ashley Razey delivered a RBI single accounting for UGA’s final run of the game.
Georgia Tech continues its eight-game road trip this weekend in Tallahassee against No. 24/20 Florida State. The Yellow Jackets and Seminoles play a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. and then wrap up the series at Noon on Sunday. Tech needs two wins this weekend to clinch its second straight ACC regular season title. The Jackets currently have a 4.5 game lead on second-place Virginia with six games remaining. Live audio and stats is available at www.RamblinWreck.com for all three games this weekend.
