THE FLATS — Delayed two and a half hours due to weather, Georgia Tech softball (28-26, 13-11 ACC) fell in the quarterfinals of the 2018 ACC Softball Tournament to No. 3-seeded North Carolina (30-25, 15-8 ACC), 6-1 late Thursday night at Mewborn Field.
The Yellow Jackets finished the 2018 season with a 28-26 record, closing with a winning record for the first time since 2012 and making its first ACC Tournament appearance since 2014. In its first year under head coach Aileen Morales, Georgia Tech softball won five ACC series, the most since 2011 and saw two, nine-game losing streaks come to an end to ACC opponents North Carolina and Boston College.
Head coach Aileen Morales says:
“We didn’t play to the level we needed to tonight, but it doesn’t take away from what this team accomplished this year. Only one team in the country ends their season with a win and that’s the national champion. We got some postseason experience under our belts and we will be able to carry that into next season. I want to thank the seniors for the four years they gave to this program and we wish them the best in their future.”
How it happened:
Designated as the away team, Georgia Tech batted first, and the Jackets made it onto the board first. Senior Emily Anderson held the score at 0-0 heading into the top of the third. Senior Draven Sonnon, batting in the lead-off spot, drew a walk to reach base. Freshman and all-ACC selection Cameron Stanford smoked her second hit of the game, a single, to third base, advancing Sonnon to second. Junior Katie Krzus knocked an RBI-single up the middle to plate Sonnon from second and put Tech ahead, 1-0.
North Carolina responded in the bottom half of the inning. The Tar Heels plated two to steal the lead at 2-1. The scored stayed there heading into the bottom of the sixth. North Carolina scored four runs, three unearned, to move the score to 6-1, plating the final tally on a solo home run.
Tech was unable to overcome the deficit and the White and Gold ended their season with the 6-1 loss.
