April 20, 2006
ATLANTA – With just two conference weekends remaining, Georgia Tech (39-14, 10-5 ACC) and No. 20 North Carolina (42-12, 11-4 ACC) will face off in one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top softball match-ups this weekend in Chapel Hill, N.C. Tech and UNC will play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday and a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Tech stands one game behind UNC heading into the final two weekends in its quest to repeat as ACC regular-season champions. The Jackets will face Virginia Tech (8-6) in the final regular season weekend of the season in Atlanta (April 29-30), while the Tar Heels will take on NC State (10-5) in the final weekend.
The Jackets have not lost a series to Carolina since the 2003 season when the Tar Heels defeated the Jackets 3-1 on April 17, with the second game being rained out.
Tech holds a 9-3 record against Carolina in the last 12 meetings and holds a one-game edge in the overall series, 19-18.
This weekend will feature the ACC’s top hitting team in the Yellow Jackets (.319) against the league’s top pitching staff (1.00 ERA). Tech leads the nation in stolen bases per game (2.21), sixth in scoring (6.72), ninth in slugging percentage (.507), 11th in batting average, 18th in home runs per game (1.02) and 25th in doubles per game (1.49).
The Tar Heels own the nation’s fifth best ERA and their No. 1 pitcher Crystal Cox is fifth with a 0.60 ERA.
Tech also ranks fourth in the NCAA in double plays per game, averaging 0.51. The Jackets need just three more double plays to break the school record, 29 turned in 2001.
All the games can be followed via live stats at www.ramblinwreck.com.
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