March 1, 2003
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech pounded out season highs of eight runs and 12 hits, and sophomore Jessica Sallinger tossed her second consecutive one-hitter, as the Yellow Jacket softball team (11-6) defeated Bradley (1-7), 8-0, at the Georgia State Invitational at Bob Heck Field. Tech also picked up a forfeit victory over Manhattan to move to 2-0 in the tournament.
Against the Braves, Tech’s final two hits ended the game, as back-to-back solo home runs by sophomore Liz Bartle and junior Sara Wissmann in the fifth extended the lead to 8-0. The game was called due to the eight-run rule.
The Tech offense was led by Bartle, who went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Seniors Felicia Coursey and Lindsay Wood, as well as Wissmann each had two hits for the Jackets.
An eight-run cushion was more than enough for Sallinger, who struck out 13 Braves in five innings, including the last seven batters she faced. The only hit allowed by Sallinger (6-4) was a bunt single in the second inning. She has won four straight decisions and tossed one-hitters in each of her last two games. Sallinger now owns a 1.61 earned run average and has 84 strikeouts on the season.
Offensively, Tech got on the board in the first and never looked back. Wood doubled to center, scoring shortstop Tara Knudsen from first and giving the Jackets a 1-0 lead.
Knudsen had a run-scoring double of her own in third to break open a four-run frame for the Jackets. Coursey led off the inning with a single down the right field and came home on Knudsen’s hit. After advancing to third on dribbler to the pitcher by Wood, Knudsen then came home on a single by first baseman Katie Donovan, giving Tech a 3-0 advantage. Bartle then added a RBI double, and Soraya Reddick ripped a single up the middle to extend the lead to 5-0. The Jackets scored four runs on six hits in the frame, as all nine batters came to the plate.
Wood extended the lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the fourth with her second RBI double against the Braves. The two-bagger was her fourth of the season and 40th of her career, equaling the all-time Tech record.
Tech continues the tournament Sunday with a 12:15 p.m. meeting with host Georgia State, followed the event’s consolation and championships games.
-GT-
