May 19, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Coming off of a 9-1 thrashing of Tennessee-Martin, the Georgia Tech softball team just didn’t have enough to overtake South Alabama and fell to the Jaguars 10-1 in five innings in their second elimination game of the NCAA Tournament at Rhoads Stadium. With the loss, Tech finished its 2012 campaign with a 37-23 record.
South Alabama (41-16) jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning and didn’t look back earning a spot against Alabama in the regional championships Sunday.
The Jackets only mustered three hits on the game including a 1-for-3 effort by Kelsi Weseman, who finished the season with a .404 batting average. Chelsie Thomas scored Tech’s lone run of the game.
Four walks, two hit batters and two wild pitches allowed South Alabama to get on top first as the Jaguars put up a three-spot in the bottom of the first inning without recording a single hit.
The Jaguars continued to add to their lead tallying four more runs on two hits and three Jacket walks in the bottom of the second. After surrendering a leadoff walk and double to left centerfield, starting pitcher Kylie Kleinschmidt was replaced on the mound by Karly Fullem, who’s last outing was on March 10. Fullem allowed four runs in the inning, the two runners allowed on by Kleinschmidt and two of her own, as USA took a 7-0 lead after two complete innings.
Tech got one on the board in the top of the third inning. Thomas led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on an infield single by Weseman and came scampered home on a wild pitch to give Tech its first run of the night cutting the lead to six.
But the Jaguars would not go away and put three more runs on the board capped by a two-run home run by Meghan Collins in the bottom of the fourth to put the Jags up by nine and seal the victory.
Keep up to date with the Georgia Tech Softball team all season long at www.RamblinWreck.com as well as twitter.com/GaTechSoftball and facebook.com/GTSoftball.
