NOTRE DAME, Ind. โย Georgia Tech softball (26-26, 7-17 ACC) overpowered host and No. 7 seed Notre Dame (29-17-1, 11-12-1 ACC) for an 8-1 victory in the first round of the 2023 ACC Softball Championship on Wednesday at Melissa Cook Stadium. Keeping the Fighting Irish at bay at the plate, the Yellow Jackets took the lead in the opening frame and steadily pulled away with seven runs over the first four innings.
Senior hurler Blake Neleman (11-10) controlled the game from the circle, holding Notre Dame to just one run on five hits while picking up four strikeouts in her eighth complete game of the season.
Three Yellow Jackets came away with multi-hit days as senior catcher Emma Kauf highlighted the Jacket bats, going 2-for-5 with her team-leading 13th double of the season and 49th of her career. Sophomore outfielder Ella Edgmon turned in a 2-for-4 day from the leadoff spot, and sophomore designated player Emma Minghini was the most efficient bat for the White and Gold going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Georgia Tech vs. Notre Dame
May 10, 2023 (Meg Lee - ACC)
How it Happened
Georgia Tech jumped on top in its first opportunity at the plate, loading the bases by way of back-to-back singles from Edgmon and Kauf as well as a Notre Dame error. Minghini put the Yellow Jackets on the board with an RBI single, and junior first baseman Abby Hughes followed by driving in a second run with a single of her own for a 2-0 Tech lead.
The White and Gold added a score in the top of the second as Edgmon singled and stole second before Kauf roped an RBI double, putting the Jackets ahead by three. Tech tacked on another pair of runs in the top of the third by way of an Irish error for a 5-0 advantage.
In the top of the fourth, a leadoff single by junior right fielder Sara Beth Allen and a subsequent walk primed RBI singles by junior third baseman Mallorie Black and freshman outfielder Paige Vukadinovich to push the Jackets further in front, 7-0.
Notre Dame broke the shutout in the bottom of the frame with a solo shot, but Georgia Tech added a final security run in the top of the sixth thanks a sac fly by senior pinch hitter Caroline Davis.
Neleman closed out the final inning, securing her complete game for an 8-1 Yellow Jacket victory.
Game Notes
- Georgia Tech has now won its first-round appearance in the ACC Tournament in four consecutive seasons.
- Neleman earned her 11th win on the season and eighth complete game this year.
- Kauf barreled her team-leading 13th double this season and 49th of her career.
Up Next
Georgia Tech advances to the quarterfinals to face No. 2 seed Duke on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ACC Network.
Multimedia
๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ
๐ ACC Softball Championship
๐ฅ First Round
๐ย #โฃ7โฃ seed Notre Dame
โฐ 3โฃ:3โฃ0โฃย p.m.
๐ย Notre Dame, Ind.
๐๏ธย Melissa Cook Stadium
๐บย ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK
๐ https://t.co/UlOZFVsCas#BeGoldย x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/bqrLY218ue— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐ โฐ
๐บย ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK
๐ https://t.co/UlOZFVsCas#BeGoldย x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/ooQBxveASU— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
3โฃ batters = ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆ on the pond to lead us off ๐#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/htHEvm2NuX
— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Hope you got your popcorn before first pitch ๐
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/y3H53lOEEh— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
๐๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฒ๐ท' ๐ต๐พ๐ฌ๐ด๐ ๐ฝ๐ธ๐ญ๐ช๐ ๐
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/65iAJk5eMP— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
๐๐ข๐๐. ๐๐๐ข๐ฉ๐. ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐. ๐คฏ
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute x #SCTop10 x @NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/i5vuBVGJ7o— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Scared money don't make money ๐ค
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/D03TBBxGU6— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
๐๐ผ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐น๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐ #๐ญ๐ฏ ๐ค
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/8xWLZb9grI— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
With @EmmaKauf behind the plate, you're out of ๐ก๐ช๐๐ ๐ฎโ๐จ
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/o63UWN5PEy— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Guess it's our ๐๐๐ธ๐๐ day ๐
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/KBr0wqy21C— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
๐ฃ๏ธ ONE AND TWO! Doubbbblleeeee Playyyyy!
๐บ: @accnetwork | #ACCSB | @GaTechSoftball pic.twitter.com/imaSryIfYU
— ACC Softball (@ACCsoftball) May 10, 2023
Better ๐๐ฆ๐๐ next time ๐ฌ
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute x #SCTop10 x @NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/0BufjPYDSb— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Ngl, we're running out of our allotted clips for this game ๐ @mallorieblack1 shoots a ๐ through the infield to score @meghancassidy_โ
T4
๐6โฃ
๐0โฃ#BeGoldย x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/1ubzmOakTq— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Looks like our ๐ญ๐ถ๐ค๐ฌ hasn't run out yet ๐@PVukadinovich pinpoints an RBI single in shallow center to score @emmaminghini ๐ฏ
T4
๐7โฃ
๐0โฃ#BeGoldย x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/w1phB4CNqg— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Bla๐e through 3โฃ
0โฃ runs allowed
1โฃ hit allowed#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/PV1wvGmtKp— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Auburn on her ๐@auburn_dupree steals second and takes third in one sequence ๐ฅ
T6
๐7โฃ
๐1โฃ#BeGoldย x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/psvguRfPXc— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Another on the board ๐@carolineadavis's pinch hit sac fly scores @auburn_dupree โ๏ธ
T6
๐8โฃ
๐1โฃ#BeGoldย x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/mMnoBs1ilH— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Not ๐ช๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ฉ about it ๐ฅณ
๐บ ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/voiXifOCy0— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
๐ฃ๐ธ๐พ๐ฐ๐ฑ ๐๐พ๐ฌ๐ด ๐๐ซ#BeGold x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/stgTBmUVSQ
— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Georgia Tech with the South Bend Dub! ๐๐ฅ#ACCSB | @GaTechSoftball | ๐๐๐ pic.twitter.com/o4wkkZi5CV
— ACC Softball (@ACCsoftball) May 10, 2023
We love @blakeneleman ๐คญ
๐บย ACC Network
๐ป https://t.co/BQwuciCwlK#BeGoldย x #404Institute pic.twitter.com/sXt3qHKG3P— Georgia Tech Softball ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ (@GaTechSoftball) May 10, 2023
Georgia Tech with a textbook ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฌ! ๐๐@GaTechSoftball | @ACCSoftball #ACCSoftball pic.twitter.com/QNYdgjZJuJ
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) May 11, 2023
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Techโs 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Techโs Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting theย Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visitย atfund.org.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Instagram (@GaTechSoftball), Twitter (@GaTechSoftball), Facebook (Georgiaย Tech Softball) or visit us atย www.ramblinwreck.com.
