Feb. 22, 2013
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The Northwestern Wildcats rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh to come from behind and defeat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 3-2, in both teams’ first game at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.
All five runs of the game were scored in the seventh inning as both teams couldn’t get anything going offensively and the defense played solidly throughout the first six frames.
Down 2-0, Northwestern (4-6) pinch hitter Sammy Albanese reached base on a walk in the bottom of the seventh and nine-spot batter Olivia Duehr posted her first hit of the game at a clutch time for a double, moving Albanese to third.
With the tying run on second, leadoff batter Kristen Scharkey reached first on a costly error by Georgia Tech shortstop Ashley Thomas. Scharkey’s grounder went right through Ashley Thomas’s legs and all the way to left field to score Albanese.
Scharkey stole second to put herself in scoring position. Marisa Bast blasted a hit to left center and Georgia Tech centerfielder Hayley Downs tracked it down, laid out and the ball tipped off her glove, allowing both Duehr and Scharkey to score and giving Northwestern the 3-2 victory.
Tech (8-4) put up two runs in the top of the seventh to take the first lead of the game. Maddie Lionberger reached on an error by the Northwestern shortstop and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Chelsie Thomas. Ashley Thomas singled to right field and a sacrifice fly courtesy of Alysha Rudnik scored Lionberger. Ashley Thomas crossed the plate thanks to an RBI-single off the bat of Hope Rush.
Rush (4-4) took the loss for Tech. She threw her fifth complete game of the season and allowed three runs on eight hits with six strikeouts.
Meghan Lamberth (2-2) earned the win for Northwestern, after pitching all seven innings with two runs on six hits and two strikeouts.
The Jackets continue action at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic against No. 8 California at 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET. Cal is the first of two top 10 teams Georgia Tech faces at the tournament and the first of seven total top 25 teams on Tech’s 2013 slate.
