April 7, 2013
BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Georgia Tech softball team (18-21, 5-3 ACC) launched four home runs to power past Virginia Tech (23-9, 3-5) Sunday, 10-4, in the series finale at Tech Softball Park. Senior Hope Rush hit two of the four long balls and tossed all seven innings.
Georgia Tech got on the board first in the second inning as Courtney Ziese was hit by a Jasmin Harrell pitch, moved to second on a groundout and reached third on a single courtesy of Chelsie Thomas. Ziese scored on a Virginia Tech fielding error.
Up 1-0 in the third inning, Alysha Rudnik was hit with a pitch to lead off the inning. Rush stepped to the plate and lined one out of the park to put Georgia Tech up, 3-0.
Rush’s second long ball of the day came on a full count to open the fifth inning. With two outs in the stanza, Ziese smoked her second round-tripper in as many games and sixth on the season to end the day for Harrell as Kelly Heinz entered to pitch for the Hokies.
Rush pitched four scoreless innings before Virginia Tech pushed a run across in the bottom of the fifth. Dani Anderson singled, moved to second on a fielding error by the Yellow Jackets and scored on a single from Lauren Gaskill. With one out and runners on the corners, Chelsie Thomas snagged a Kyle McGoldrick line drive and fired over to first to get Gaskill on the double play to end the inning.
The Jackets added two runs in the sixth as Chelsie Thomas scored on a Virginia Tech throwing error and Rudnik’s sacrifice fly plated Hayley Downs.
Caitlyn Coffey capped off the scoring for Georgia Tech in the seventh. Coffey belted a Maggie Tyler offering over the leftfield wall for a three-run home run that scored pinch runner Kelly Delashmit and Katie Johnsky.
The Hokies put together a late rally in the bottom of the seventh on a three-run homer off the bat of McGoldrick, but Georgia Tech shut the door.
Rush (10-11) surrendered four runs on eight hits in the victory.
Virginia Tech used a trio of pitchers in the loss with starter Harrell (10-5) as the pitcher of record. Harrell allowed five runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work.
Georgia Tech is back in action Wednesday at Mercer. Action begins at 6 p.m.
