THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (20-13, 7-5 ACC) once again successfully defended Mewborn Field against a top-25 team as the Jackets opened their Bye Week Tournament with a 6-4 win over No. 15 Oklahoma State (19-9, 4-3 Big 12). The dynamic senior duo of Sophia Voyles and Kinsey Norton held the ranked Cowgirls scoreless through five innings while Grace Connelly went 3-3 with four RBI.
QUICK HITS
- Voyles’ 14th start of the season saw her earn her eighth win of the season with the help of Makayla Coffield, who made her 14th appearance, and Norton, who earned her fourth save of the season in her 18th
- Connelly not only recorded a career-high three hits against the ranked Cowgirls but also tied her career high for RBI (4) which was set during the 2023 season against Georgia State.
- Tech’s second baseman is now tied with Gracyn Tucker for most multi-RBI games this season, both with seven games apiece. Her three hits now put her at five multi-hit games this season, the fourth most on the team.
- Alyssa Willer recorded her fifth home run of the season on Thursday, her fourth home run in six games.
- Willer’s two runs against OSU not only bring her to eight multi-run games this season but extend her multi-run game streak to four games.
- Tucker’s two runs bring her to six games scoring multiple runs this season.
- The third baseman continues to hold Tech’s longest reached base streak of the season as she is currently riding a 12-game streak. She is only the second Jacket to record a double-digit reached base streak this season with the other being Addison Leschber (10 games).
- Tech’s 6-4 victory on Thursday is its third win against a top-25 opponent this season and its first win against a top-15 team this season.
- The last time Georgia Tech softball had three-ranked wins in a single season was in 2015 when the jackets downed No. 20 Nebraska 11-2 and 10-2 as well as beat No. 22 Texas A&M, 5-4.
- The Jackets’ third top-25 win marks the most top-25 wins in a single season under head coach Aileen Morales and is now the highest ranked home win under the direction of coach Morales, surpassing the previous highest ranked home win earned in the 2023 season against No. 18 Auburn (2-1).
- Coach Morales now holds nine ranked wins with Georgia Tech, four of which are against top-15 opponents (No. 11 Kentucky; No. 15 Virginia Tech, twice; No. 15 OSU).
- Friday’s win is the highest ranked win at Mewborn Field since Tech defeated No. 8 Georgia, 2-0, in the 2012 season which was one of six ranked victories.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Voyles began in the circle for Tech and held OSU scoreless, surrendering only two hits, through five complete innings. The first five innings saw the senior strikeout four Cowgirls swinging and catch three more looking.
- Tech wasted little time getting to work on offense as Connelly sent a single through the right side that advanced both Willer and Eliana Gottlieb home. Reese Hunter added one final run to the board as her single to right field would send Tucker home for the first time.
- Despite going scoreless through the second and third inning, the Jackets stacked another three runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 6-0 game. Willer got things started for Tech with a solo shot over right field. Tucker got on base with a single and advanced to third off Jayden Gailey’s double to left center. Both Tucker and Gailey were sent home with another single from Connelly, this time struck to center field.
- The Yellow Jackets surrendered their first runs of the night in the sixth inning as a home run over right center put three runs on the board for OSU.
- Coffield relieve Voyles but only for two batters before Norton was sent in to close out the game. Norton remained in the circle for the remaining 1.1 innings and faced seven batters.
- Tech was able to get the first of three final outs before a single from OSU scored one run and left two runners waiting on base. The Jackets ended the game on a double play between Tucker and Gailey.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech softball remains at Mewborn Field to host No. 15 Oklahoma State in a rematch on Friday at 6 p.m. before finishing the Bye Week Tournament Sunday against Penn State at 11 a.m. Friday’s contest is set to be streamed on ACCN while Sunday’s game can be watched on ACCNX.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech softball team, follow us on Twitter (@GaTechSoftball), Facebook, Instagram (@GaTechsoftball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
