Jackets Cruise past ‘Cuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Georgia Tech softball (23-12, 9-4 ACC) utilized strong pitching and timely hitting to defeat Syracuse (14-14, 2-8 ACC) by a final score of 5-1 on Thursday evening at Skytop Softball Stadium in Syracuse. The Yellow Jackets scored four of their five runs with two outs and only allowed two Syracuse baserunners into scoring position in a strong team effort for the ninth ACC victory of the campaign.

QUICK HITS: THE TEAM

• Tech is now 9-4 in conference play, the best record through 13 conference games under Coach Aileen Morales.
• It’s the best record through the first 13 ACC games since 2012.
• The Jackets improve to 7-3 in road games this season, tied for the best road record through 10 games since 2005.
• Georgia Tech has won eight games in a row against Syracuse dating back to 2017.
• Tech recorded its seventh save of the season, courtesy of Makayla Coffield. The Yellow Jackets have made seven or more saves in each of the last three seasons for the first time in program history.

QUICK HITS: THE BATS

• Madison Dobbins drove in her ACC leading 44^th RBI of the year in the third inning with two outs. It was her 58^th RBI as a Yellow Jacket.
• Dobbins recorded multiple hits today, her ninth mutli-hit game of the season.
• Mallorie Black brought Dobbins home in the next at bat, her 41^st RBI of the season.
• Black and Dobbins are the only teammates in the Power 5 with 40+ RBI this year.
• Gracie Hillman scored on the Dobbins single after stealing second base. She is now 5 for 6 in stolen base attempts this year.
• Hillman has stolen a base in back-to-back games for the second time this season.
• Jin Sileo filled the box score, making two hits with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.
• It was her eighth multi-hit game of the season and 27^th of her career.
• She stole her 11^th base of the season in the fourth inning. She remains perfect on the base paths, going 11 for 11 in stolen base attempts this year.
• Sileo drove in her 13^th RBI of the year in the sixth inning to make it a 5-1 game.
• Abby Hughes drove home Sileo with a two-out single in the fourth, her 5^th RBI of the season.
• Ella Edgmon came around to score in the fifth inning, her ACC leading 19^th run of conference play and her 38^th of the year overall.
• Edgmon is averaging 1.58 runs per game through 12 ACC games played.
• Brionna Condon scored her first-career ACC run in the sixth when Sileo singled her home. It was her 4^th career run scored.
• The Jackets drew two walks today, bringing their season total to 134, the most in the ACC.

QUICK HITS: THE ARMS

• Sophia Voyles made her 11^th start of the season, pitching the first four innings and earning the win.
• It is Voyles’ 11^th career victory, bringing her record to 6-2 this year.
• She allowed only four base runners across the four innings of work, striking out two.
• Her two strikeouts give her 100 career Ks.
• Makayla Coffield shut the door for the final three innings, earning her first-career save in her longest-career outing.
• She only allowed two opposing hitters on base, retiring eight batters in a row at one point, before surrendering her only hit of the game with two outs in the seventh inning.
• Coffield has now thrown 3.2 innings in ACC play, allowing only one hit and one walk without surrendering a run and striking out two.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Neither offense could manage much in the first two innings with Voyles delivering a 1-2-3 bottom of the second as an exclamation point. Tech got the bats going in the third with some small ball and clutch two-out hitting. Hillman got on base with a one-out walk stealing second after Edgmon flew out. With a runner on second and two-outs, Dobbins stepped up with a ground ball up the middle of the infield, the Syracuse shortstop made a diving stop to keep the ball in the dirt but Hillman was too fast, beating the throw home for the first run of the game. The throw got past the Syracuse catcher, allowing Dobbins to stroll into second. Black came up next, driving a ball through the left side of the infield to bring home Dobbins as the Jackets took a 2-0 lead.

Voyles retired the side in order in a quick bottom of the third to bring the Tech bats back to the plate. After a couple of outs, Sileo reached base with a beautiful bunt, stealing second and coming around to score on the two-out single from Hughes to make it a 3-0 ball game. Syracuse scratched a run across in the bottom of the fourth to make it 3-1. It could have been more, but a rocket from Reese Hunter caught the Syracuse runner trying to steal second to end the threat. The Jackets offense was quick to respond in the fifth. Edgmon led the inning off with a double off the wall in left, advancing to third on a fly ball from Black before scampering home on a passed ball to help Tech re-establish the three-run lead, 4-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Coffield entered the game and Syracuse’s offensive momentum was snuffed. The freshman lefty walked the first batter she faced, before retiring the next eight Orange hitters in order, keeping Syracuse out of scoring position for the final three innings. Tech added another insurance run in the sixth when Sileo drove home Condon who was pinch running for Hunter. With a four-run cushion, Coffield cruised through the remaining innings forcing a weak groundout to third base for the final out of her best collegiate appearance yet.

UP NEXT­­
The Yellow Jackets will go for the series win tomorrow at 3 pm from Syracuse. The game will be broadcast on ACCNX.

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.

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