March 28, 2012
ATLANTA – Led by two home runs by Shannon Bear, the Georgia Tech softball team blasted its way to a 9-1 run rule victory over Kennesaw State, Wednesday at Mewborn Field.
Tech (20-16) tallied four home runs on the day lead by Bear’s two, and one each by Kelsi Weseman and Hope Rush. Rush limited Kennesaw State (16-16) to just three hits on the day, also striking out three in five innings of work.
Ashley Thomas led the game off with an infield single, moving up on a stolen base and up one more bag on a sacrifice fly to center. A wild pitch at the plate allowed Thomas to scoot home for the first run of the day and also allowed Weseman, who was on first after a walk to move all the way over to third. A groundout to the pitcher brought Weseman home for run number two.
Kennesaw State got one run back later as the Owls lead off with back-to-back hits, used a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up and scored on a passed ball to cut the lead in half.
Tech wasn’t finished. Weseman lifted one up and over the right centerfield fence, followed by a blast by Rush to left field. Karly Fullem followed Rush’s blast with an infield single and was replaced on the basepaths by Kaitlin Kates who came around to touch home plate on Bear’s first homer of the day. The Jackets loaded the bases using two Kennesaw errors and Katie Johnsky came home for the fifth run of the inning to give Tech a 7-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Bear blasted her second home run of the game and fifth of the season to give Tech the eight run advantage. Rush came through in the top of the fifth striking out two and adding the assist on the final out of the game as Tech earned its 20th victory of the season.
The Jackets will look to take the momentum into their first ACC road series of the weekend. Saturday’s games will begin at 5 p.m. followed by a Sunday afternoon matinee at 1 p.m.
