Feb. 13, 2010
Video Interview With Jessica Coan and Jessica Sinclair (2/13/10)
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Sophomore Jessica Coan threw a one-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and sophomore Jessica Sinclair went 2-for-3 with a home run (grand slam) and six RBI as the No. 13/14 Georgia Tech Softball team (1-0) defeated Canisius (0-1), 9-0 in five innings, Saturday morning at the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament.
Despite a game-time temperature of 44 degrees and wind chill values in the low 30’s, the Yellow Jackets belted out three home runs and seven hits against Canisius pitcher Caroline Main. In addition to Sinclair’s home run, freshman Hope Rush and senior Jen Yee also went deep. Tech will now face No. 3/5 Florida at 3 p.m. today.
The Yellow Jackets got on the board in the first inning as freshman Hope Rush began her career with a bang. With one out and senior Jen Yee aboard after walking, Rush crushed a 1-1 pitch over the fence in right field giving Tech a 2-0 lead. The Jackets had runners at second and third with two outs later in the inning, but sophomore Kate Kuzma struck out.
Sophomore Jessica Coan got into a bit of a jam in the bottom of the third, but was able to work out of it. Two walks and a hit batsman gave Canisius the bases loaded and two outs, but Lizzy Gatto flied out to end the inning.
The Jackets then pushed two more runs across in the top of the fourth inning. Tech loaded the bases with nobody out when sophomore Jessica Sinclair laced a double into the left-field corner. Two runs easily scored, but Kuzma was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw home by Canisius left fielder Lauren Hope.
Yee then led off the fifth inning with a home run to nearly the same spot over the right-center field fence as Rush’s giving the Yellow Jackets a 5-0 lead. Later in the inning, the Jackets had the bases loaded and two outs when Sinclair ripped a 3-2 pitch just over the fence in left field for her first career grand slam. The line drive home run made it 9-0 Tech.
A base hit by Hope in the bottom of the fifth inning broke up Coan’s bid for a no-hitter, but she was able to escape a two-on, one-out jam and preserve her second career solo shutout. Coan gave up just the one hit and three walks while striking out nine.
After this afternoon’s game against No. 3/5 Florida, Georgia Tech closes out the USF Wilson-DeMarini Tournament tomorrow with a pair of games at the Eddie Moore Complex. The Yellow Jackets will take on East Carolina at 9:00 a.m. and then Florida Gulf Coast at 1:30 p.m. Live stats for every game this weekend is available at www.RamblinWreck.com.
