Feb. 20, 2015
Box Score | GT Photo Gallery (Game 1) | GT Photo Gallery (Game 2)
THE FLATS – Despite the snow, the Georgia Tech softball team’s (4-8) bats were hot as the Jackets recorded 19 hits with five home runs en route to a pair of run-rule victories against Mount St. Mary’s (0-2). In the Jackets’ first two home games of 2015 as part of the Georgia Tech-Georgia State Invitational, Tech out-scored the Mountaineers 22-2 with 10-0 and 12-2 victories.
The Jackets are back in action Saturday with a doubleheader against Savannah State slated for 1 p.m.
“It was a great team effort,” head coach Shelly Hoerner said. “Samantha Pierannunzi did a great job of getting on base and from there it was contagious. They were seeing the ball really well today. I’m proud of them, especially in the snow today, but we were here to play games and that was our mission. We needed to make sure we took care of business.”
Game 1: Georgia Tech 10, Mount St. Mary’s 0 – 5 innings
Courtney Ziese, Maddie Lionberger and Samantha Pierannunzi all hit home runs in the home opener to bring in half of the 10 total runs.
The Jackets got on the board in the bottom of the opening stanza. Pierannunzi drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chelsie Thomas. Katie Johnsky stepped to the plate and worked the count full before hitting a double to deep left center to score Pierannunzi.
Karly Fullem kept it going with a single through the right side and Ziese’s single through the left side scored Johnsky to give the Jackets a 2-0 lead.
Pierannunzi took one to deep centerfield for her first home run of the season to give Tech a 3-0 advantage in the second frame and the Jackets added two addition runs in the third.
The Jackets tallied five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning highlighted by back-to-back bombs from Ziese and Lionberger. Ziese’s third round-tripper of the year was a three-run shot and Lionberger’s first on the year was solo slam.
Freshman Emily Anderson (2-3) pitched four innings of scoreless softball, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts. Christina Biggerstaff pitched the remaining frame with two punchouts.
Game 2: Georgia Tech 12, Mount St. Mary’s 2 – 5 innings
With a 10-2 lead in the fifth inning, Georgia Tech added a pair of runs on solo home runs. Freshman Malea Bell went yard for the first of her collegiate career and Colleen Darragh hit her first of the season.
The Jackets jumped out with five runs in the top of the first inning thanks to a bases loaded single from Fullem, followed by a double from Lionberger. Tech put up another five spot in the third inning on five hits and two walks.
After Mount St. Mary’s scored two runs in the bottom of the first, relief pitcher Biggerstaff (1-1) tossed 4.2 innings of hitless and scoreless softball while striking out seven Mountaineers.
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