March 23, 2002
MARIETTA, Ga. – With two more wins on Saturday, the Georgia Tech softball team (26-8, 0-0 ACC) moved to 4-0 in the 2002 Buzz Classic and claimed the tournament’s No. 1 seed for Sunday’s bracket play. Tech defeated Illinois, 3-0, and Charleston Southern, 6-2, at the Al Bishop Softball Complex.
Against Illinois, freshman Jessica Sallinger was again dominant, as she allowed no runs on five hits and four walks, while striking out seven. She moves to 13-3 with her fourth shutout of the season.
Tech’s Friday momentum carried over to its first at bat against the Illini. After a leadoff walk to second baseman Felicia Coursey, shortstop Tara Knudsen ripped her second home run of the tourney to deep left field, giving the Jackets a 2-0 lead. She now has nine homers on the season.
Both teams had a chance to put some runs on the board in the third, but each squad left the bases loaded.
The Jackets finally got on the board again in the fifth as catcher Lindsey Wood led off the inning with a double. Junior Tara Neff entered to pinch run and advanced to second on a Sara Wissmann ground out. Third baseman Jamie Frost then singled to right field, scoring Neff and extending the Tech lead to 3-0.
At the plate, Tech was led by Wood, who went 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
In game two, the Jackets pushed a run across in the first, without a base hit, to take an early lead on Charleston Southern. Right fielder Katie Donovan and Knudsen walked, and both advanced on a wild pitch. Wissmann slapped a grounder that was booted by the short stop, allowing her to reach first and Donovan to come home.
Tech added to its lead in the third, as Wissmann reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Donovan, and designated player Mimi Utt had a two-run single, which gave the Jackets a 3-0 lead. Coursey then drew a bases loaded walk to plate another run.
Wissmann homered to left center in the fourth, pushing the Tech lead to 6-0.
Charleston Southern scored a pair of late runs, but Jackets starter Tiffany Goodman was too strong, earning her sixth win of the season. She went seven innings, allowing two runs on nine hits. She is now 6-1.
Offensively, Utt led the way going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
The Jackets return to action tomorrow at 9 a.m. against the winner of tonight’s Maryland-Harvard match-up.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS Maryland 12, Elon 3 (5 inn.) UNC Greensboro 5, Princeton 0 Mercer 7, Tennessee Tech 5 Nicholls State 4, Coastal Carolina 1 (8 inn.)
Troy State 8, Appalachian State 0 (5 inn.) UNC Greensboro 4, Campbell 3 Florida State 5, Princeton 1 Georgia State 2, Elon 1 Harvard 5, Tennessee Tech 4
Western Kentucky 10, Michigan State 1 (5 inn.) Mercer 4, Illinois 3 Belmont 3, Middle Tennessee State 1 Troy State 6, Nicholls State 4 Ohio State 2, Florida State 1 (11 inn.)
Georgia Tech 3, Illinois 0 Middle Tennessee State 2, Appalachian State 1 North Carolina 9, Michigan State 4 Harvard 18, Charleston Southern 11 Ohio State 9, Central Florida 6
North Carolina 5, Georgia State 1 Georgia Tech 6, Charleston Southern 2 Campbell 10, Central Florida 2 Belmont 9, Coastal Carolina 4 Maryland 7, Western Kentucky 1
SATURDAY’S BRACKET PLAY No. 12 Central Florida vs. No. 5 Florida State No. 10 Mercer vs. No. 7 Nicholls State No. 11 Belmont vs. No. 6 Georgia State No. 9 Maryland vs. No. 8 Harvard
No. 1 Georgia Tech, No. 2 North Carolina, No. 3 Troy State and No. 4 Ohio State receive byes until Sunday at 9 a.m.
