STARKVILLE, MISS. – Georgia Tech softball (6-1) started off the Snowman Tournament with back-to-back solid performances, starting with a 12-8 win over Southern Illinois and finishing with a 15-1 five inning blowout against Bradley. Senior Emma Minghini made her second appearance of the season and not only threw her first complete game but also earned her first career win while eight Jackets had a multi-run day.
QUICK HITS
- Freshman right hand pitcher Sydnie Watts made her first career start in the circle and struck out three batters in her first 4.0 innings pitched for Tech.
- Makayla Coffield was called upon to relieve the Jackets’ starting pitcher for the fourth time this season and hurled a career high six strikeouts in her 3.0 innings pitched.
- Eight Jackets scored runs in game one against Southern Illinois, including Jayden Gailey, Gracyn Tucker, Lillian Martineau, and Reese Hunter, all who scored two runs respectively.
- Freshman Lillian Martineau made her first career start against SIU as she occupied right field for the Jackets.
- Tech’s 15-1 win over Bradley is the largest win for Tech softball since its 18-9 six inning win against Pittsburgh in the 2019 season.
- Grace Connelly leads Tech’s hitting streak with six games while Ella Edgmon is just behind her with five.
- Connelly also leads Tech alongside Gottlieb, with both Jackets riding a seven-game reached base streak.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1 vs. Southern Illinois
- Tech got on the board early in game one as Ella Edgmon blasted one down the left field line, sending both Connelly and Gailey running home.
- With two runners on for SIU in the bottom of the first, Tech chose to go after the runner advancing from first which left the batter to take first and the runner on third to advance home. The Salukis added two more runs in the first with a home run over center field that put two on the board.
- The Yellow Jackets tied the game in the top of the second as Reese scored due to a throwing error on the Salukis’ shortstop. Eliana Gottlieb returned the lead to Tech after scoring on Gailey’s double to left field.
- Tucker extended the Jackets’ lead in the third inning as she scored after Reese’s fly ball out to right field was dropped. Martineau scored her first career run and made it a 6-3 game in favor of Tech as she scored on a Vukadinovich double to left center.
- SIU brought the game within one run after a home run over center field put two on the board.
- A massive fourth inning gave Tech some breathing room as the Yellow Jackets scored six runs on four hits and two SIU errors. Emma Simon and Vukadinovich scored their first runs of the game while Gailey and Tucker safely reached home for the second time.
- Southern Illinois tallied one more run in the fifth and the seventh respectively but were unable to come back as Tech finished the game leading 12-8.
- Watts and Coffield split time in the circle against SIU with Watts throwing 4.0 innings and Coffield owning the remaining 3.0. The freshman struck out three batters to begin her collegiate career while the sophomore saw a career high six strikeouts.
Game 2 vs. Bradley
- The Georgia Tech offense was relentless through the first inning as the Yellow Jackets scored eight runs on six hits with one Bradley error. Gottlieb, Connelly, Martineau, and Vukadinovich all recorded one run respectively while Gailey marked both a single and a double after Tech ran through its full batting lineup.
- Tech’s scoring continued through the second inning as Emma Simon was walked with the bases loaded, sending Tucker home.
- Bradley scored its lone run of the game as its runner on third advanced home while their batter grounded out.
- Four consecutive singles for the Yellow Jackets combined with three Braves’ errors resulted in another four runs for Tech, making it a 13-1 game after three innings. Gottlieb, Tucker, and Connelly came home once more while Ella Edgmon scored her first run of the game.
- Leschber entered the game to pinch hit for Gailey in the bottom of the fourth and sent a single through the right side, advancing both Willer to second and Vukadinovich home.
- Connelly reached first for one final time after the Braves went after Leschber who was advancing to second. Willer safely made it home from third for the final Tech run of the game.
UP NEXT
Tech remains in Starkville, Miss. to compete against Bradley on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech softball team, follow us on Twitter (@GaTechSoftball), Facebook, Instagram (@GaTechsoftball) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com.
