Feb. 23, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Senior Caitlin Lever set a new school single-game record with five hits, going 5-for-5, with a home run and four runs batted in, and junior Savannah Brown went 2-for-4, with two RBIs, to lead Georgia Tech (9-1) past No. 16 Baylor (12-3), 10-7, on Friday at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Junior right-handed pitcher Whitney Humphreys (5-0) threw 6.2 innings, scattering nine hits, seven runs, seven earned runs, walked five and struck out five. Sophomore Lacey Richardson tallied her second save of the season, recording the final out of the game.
The Bears’ Nicole Wesley went 4-for-5, with two runs scored and three stolen bases to lead BU offensively. The Jackets have homered in all 10 games and extend their winning streak to seven games.
BU’s Chelsi Lake singled to center field with two outs in the bottom of the first inning to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets responded with two leadoff singles in the top of the second inning by Lever and Brown, but Tech would leave the bases loaded with one out as the Bears held on to their one-run lead.
Not willing to spoil two leadoff hits again, Tech scored three runs in the top of the third inning thanks to an RBI single by Lever and a two-run double by Brown as the Jackets took their first lead of the game, 3-1.
The Jackets loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning on two singles and a walk, but the Bears’ Ashley Monceaux fanned the next two batters and induced a ground out to shortstop to keep Baylor within striking distance down two runs.
The Bears came back to tie the game in the bottom half of the fifth inning as Tech misplayed a run down to allow the first run and Monceaux drove a ball to deep center field to score the second run as the game advanced to the sixth inning tied at 3-3.
The Yellow Jackets regained the lead in the top of the sixth inning with seven runs on five hits. Junior Stephanie Butler got the inning started as she was hit by a pitch, advanced two bases on a wild pitch and sacrifice bunt and scored on a fielder’s choice, making a nice slide to avoid the tag at the plate. Lever then struck her fourth hit of the game, this one a three-run blast to center field, to give Tech a 7-3 lead. Juniors Becky McCraw and Aileen Morales each drove in a run and sophomore Blair Shimandle had an RBI single as the lead was seven in favor of Tech.
BU made the game interesting with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Richardson was able to record the final out with a pop out to shortstop with the bases loaded and two outs to give the Jackets a three-run victory.
Tech scored 10 runs, on 14 hits and had no errors, while BU scored seven runs, on 10 hits and committed four errors.
The Yellow Jackets will take on DePaul (5-2) in game two of the Leadoff Classic at 5 p.m. today. The game can be followed on www.ramblinwreck.com.
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