March 10, 2007
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Junior Brittany Barnes drove in the game-winning runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and sophomore Tiffany Johnson (10-2) struck out a career-high 14 batters, allowing just two hits, to lead No. 19 Georgia Tech (25-4) to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over Oklahoma State (16-14) in the quarterfinals of the USF adidas Invitational on Saturday night.
Barnes finished the game 2-for-3, with two runs batted in. Senior Caitlin Lever went 2-for-2, with a home run, walk and one RBI to pace the Jackets offensively.
Johnson went the distance, allowing three earned runs and walked just three to go along with her 14 strikeouts.
The Cowgirls struck first as Courtney Totte hit a two-run home run in the top of the third inning as the Jackets went down early, 2-0.
Tech tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning as sophomore Whitney Haller drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly to right field and Lever followed with a home run as the game moved to the fifth inning tied at two.
The Cowgirls regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning as Emily Blackburn hit a sacrifice fly to left field as Tech went down by one, 3-2.
With runners at second and third and two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Barnes delivered another clutch blow for the Yellow Jackets, this time a single to center field to plate Haller and Lever as Tech took its first lead of the game, 4-3.
Johnson tallied a pair of strikeouts in the bottom half of the seventh inning and retired the third on a pop out to third base to close the game in style for Tech.
The Jackets scored four runs, on six hits and had one error, while OSU scored three runs, on two hits and had no errors.
The Yellow Jackets will take on Hofstra in the semifinals of the Gold Championship bracket on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. The winner of that game will advance to face the winner of the North Carolina and Central Michigan game at 11:30 a.m.
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