THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (5-0) took care of crosstown foe Georgia State to wrap up the 2021 Buzz Classic on Sunday. The Jackets trounced the Panthers 8-0 through five innings for a mercy-rule victory as they continue to improve upon their best start to a season since 2013.
Georgia Tech made the first noise at the plate as senior first baseman Tricia Awald cracked an RBI single to center field in the bottom of the first. The Yellow Jackets came back stronger in the second, scoring three more runs. Junior infielder Bailee Zeitler drove in two of those runs as she notched her first hit of the season in a two-RBI blast. A double steal later in the inning allowed freshman infielder Jin Sileo to sneak home to give Tech a 4-0 lead.
To open the bottom of the third, Awald continued the Yellow Jacket momentum by roping a solo shot over left center. Zeitler came up big once again shortly after, doubling down the left-field line to put Georgia Tech up by six. The Jackets added another run to their tally in the fourth behind a sac fly from senior outfielder Kennedy Cowden before fellow senior outfielder Cameron Stanford closed the game with an RBI single to right field for the 8-0 mercy-rule victory in five innings.
Game Notes
- Georgia Tech is off to its best start since 2013 after an undefeated weekend.
- The Yellow Jackets were active on the basepath, stealing five bases on the day, which marked the third most in a game since 2008.
- Sophomore pitcher Blake Neleman turned in another strong performance in the circle, pitching her second straight shutout. The Marietta, Ga., native has allowed just one run and eight hits through 17 innings of work while piling up 29 strikeouts on the weekend. Neleman tallied 10 strikeouts with just two hits allowed on the day.
- Zeitler got going at the dish for the first time this season, going 3-for-3 with a homerun, three RBI and two runs scored in the game.
- Awald also saw success at the plate, hitting the game’s other homerun while going 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
- Through the weekend, Kauf and Cowden led the Jackets at the plate. Kauf has batted .692, going 9-for-13 with four doubles, two homeruns and seven RBI. Cowden is batting .545 with three homeruns and 14 RBI.
Up Next
Georgia Tech will be back in action on Thursday, hosting No. 12 Florida State in a doubleheader with games at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The games will be televised on the ACC Network.
Multimedia
B1 | Georgia Tech gets on the board first! @TriciaAwald22 chops one through the middle to score @EmmaKauf!
📺: https://t.co/JsHBMrBcoD pic.twitter.com/DHebCyHXso
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 14, 2021
M2 | Business as usual for @blakeneleman 🤷♀️
📺https://t.co/JsHBMrBcoD pic.twitter.com/l8a8ix8vV0
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 14, 2021
NO DOUBTER❕@Bailee_Zeitler2's first hit of the season goes yard! The ✌️-run slam puts the Jackets up by 3⃣
📺https://t.co/JsHBMrBcoD pic.twitter.com/sPSCVCJOLR
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 14, 2021
B2 | Jackets showing off the wheels 🏃♀️💨 @EmmaKauf steals second while @JinSileo sneaks home to increase the lead to 4⃣ !
📺: https://t.co/JsHBMrBcoD pic.twitter.com/xfBfyURsC5
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 14, 2021
SAYONARA👋@TriciaAwald22 leads off the bottom half by HAMMERING one over left center! Jackets lead by 🖐️
📺: https://t.co/JsHBMrBcoD pic.twitter.com/dac0PivXma
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 14, 2021
Another run for the Jackets! @Bailee_Zeitler2 shoots a laser off the third baseman to score @Kennedy_Cowden and put Tech up by 6⃣
📺: https://t.co/JsHBMrBcoD pic.twitter.com/yVXxzghToI
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 14, 2021
T4 | @CamStanford1 with the snag!
📺: https://t.co/JsHBMrBcoD pic.twitter.com/ygbbcIJhNM
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 14, 2021
B4 | A @Kennedy_Cowden sac fly brings in @meghancassidy_ to increase the Georgia Tech lead to 7⃣!
📺: https://t.co/JsHBMrBcoD pic.twitter.com/sL5LBCfXMd
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 14, 2021
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the A-T Fund’s Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes, and the Support The Swarm Fund, created to give fans an opportunity to help Georgia Tech athletics maintain its recent momentum through the financial challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic! To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GTAthletics), Facebook, Instagram or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
