RALEIGH, N.C. – Georgia Tech softball (17-7, 5-0 ACC) put on a show on Friday, defeating NC State (14-7, 1-4 ACC) in both games of the doubleheader at Dail Softball Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. The Yellow Jackets won an 11-inning duel in game one, 4-1 (11), before powering past the Wolfpack 8-1 in game two. The wins extend GT’s winning streak to 14 games, tied for the 2nd longest in program history, while improving to 5-0 in the ACC for the first time since 2011.
QUICK HITS: THE TEAM
- Tech has won 14 games in a row, tied with the 2011 Yellow Jackets for the 2nd longest winning streak in program history
- The Jackets improve to 5-0 in ACC play for the first time since 2011. It’s the fourth time Tech has started ACC play with five straight wins and one win shy of the best conference start in program history, accomplished in 2002.
- GT has now hit 47 home runs this season, the most among Power 5 teams. The Jackets are one HR shy of tying their total output from last season while playing in less than half of the total games.
- The home run streak ended at 18 straight games after Tech kept the ball in the park in game one, the longest HR streak in the Morales era and the longest since the 2011 season.
- The Tech defense turned four double plays today, two in each game, extending its ACC lead to 15 double plays turned.
- The pitching staff has been dominant so far in ACC play, holding opponents to one run or fewer in four straight conference games (10-1, 8-0, 4-1 and 8-1) for the first time since 2010 (five straight).
QUICK HITS: THE ARMS
- Sophia Voyles delivered her best performance as a Jacket, pitching a career-best 6.1 innings before giving up her first hit, a solo home run that chased her from game one.
- Voyles retired the first 11 batters she faced in order before allowing a walk.
- After the walk, she took care of five batters in a row before leaving the game in the seventh.
- Kinsey Norton entered in the sixth, pitching 4.2 innings of scoreless softball to earn the win, her fourth of the season.
- This was Norton’s sixth consecutive appearance, the most over her career.
- Norton has not allowed a run in any of her past six appearances, pitching 12.0 scoreless innings and only allowing 12 base runners over that stretch.
- Blake Neleman made the start in game two, pitching 4.0 innings and giving up just one run on two hits while striking out four.
- She earned the win, her team leading fifth victory of the year. The win ties Neleman with Kristen Adkins for the fifth most wins ever by a Georgia Tech pitcher.
- Chandler Dennis shut the door for the rest of the game, pitching 3.0 hitless innings, only allowing two batters to reach base, earning her third save of the season.
- It was Dennis’ 8th save as a Jacket, moving her into sole possession of 2nd place for the most career saves in program history.
- Over the course of the 18 innings played today, the four Tech pitchers combined for a 0.78 ERA, allowing just eight hits and two runs while holding the NC State bats to a measly .140 team batting average.
QUICK HITS: THE BATS
- Ella Edgmon extended her career-best hitting streak to 11 games with base hits in both games today.
- She reached base in nearly every possible way throughout the day, making three hits with two walks, an HBP and reaching via error twice.
- Edgmon scored three times in the Jackets game two victory, tying the career high she set twice last weekend against Pitt. She now leads the ACC with 11 runs scored in conference games this year.
- Mallorie Black extended her career-best on-base streak to 21 games after reaching base in both games today.
- She launched her ninth home run of the year in the second game, a grand slam in the fourth inning. It was her second-career grand slam and the Jackets’ third of the season.
- Black tied her career high with five RBI in the second game, brining her season total to 30, also a career high.
- Black is tied with Madison Dobbins for the most home runs on the team and the most home runs in the ACC this year.
- Her 30 RBI ties her for the second most in the ACC, three behind Dobbins for the conference lead.
- Tiffany Domingue delivered her sixth home run of the season in the second game, a two-run home run in the third.
- That home run moves her into a tie for the 7th most HRs in the ACC. Tech boasts four of the top 7 HR hitters in the conference: Dobbins/Black – 1st (9), Sara Beth Allen – 3rd (8) and Domingue – 7th (7).
- Domingue’s three RBI in game two was her 8th multi-RBI game of the year, tying her with Dobbins and Black for the most mutli-RBI games on the team.
- The Jackets have had five players record an on-base streak of at least 10 games this season (Black, Allen, Edgmon, Domingue and Dobbins). Black (21), Allen (17) and Edgmon (16)) all have double-digit active on-base streaks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
Sophia Voyles set the tone early on, striking out the last two batters of the first inning to begin her incredible day. She wouldn’t allow a runner on base until the fourth inning, retiring 11 straight before the perfect game bid ended with a walk. She would maintain a no-hitter into the seventh inning, when NC State finally connected on a pitch, resulting in a game-tying home run. Voyles would leave the game after that hit but not before pitching a career-best 6.1 innings and allowing only the one hit and one walk while striking out six.
Norton came into the game for Voyles, pitching the next 4.2 innings without allowing a run as she ballooned her scoreless streak to 12.0 innings over her last six appearances, inducing a pair of double plays to end both the 8th and 9th innings before cruising through the 10th in six pitches and shutting the door with a 10-pitch 11th inning for her fourth win of the year.
The Jacket bats threatened all game, getting runners on base in all 11 innings and putting runners in scoring position in six of those innings. It took until the sixth inning for the Jackets to break the 0-0 deadlock. Domingue laced a one-out double and came around to score off an NC State error. In extra innings, the Jackets continued to get on base but couldn’t scratch across a run, until Paige Vukadinovich slapped a ball down the left field line to drive in Emma Minghini and put the Jackets in front, 2-1. Jin Sileo walked to load the bases in the next at bat, allowing Edgmon to add an insurance run with a single in the next at bat. Allen would draw a walk, one of her team-high four for the day, brining home Vukadinovich for the 4-1 final score.
Game 2
The Jackets wasted no time getting on the board in this game, as Edgmon led off with a walk, stealing second and advancing to third on an errant throw. Black would drive her home with a check swing single into the outfield to put the Jackets up 1-0 from the jump. NC State tried to respond in a similar way against Neleman in the bottom of the first. The Wolfpack leadoff hitter reached with a walk, stole second and reached third on a passed ball only for Neleman to strike out the next two batters she faced to get out of the inning and maintain the one run lead.
After a scoreless second, Tech added two more runs in the top of the third thanks to a two-run blast by Domingue. NC State responded with a run in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 3-1 after three. In the fourth, the Jackets did what they do best. Jayden Gailey lead off with a single, advancing to second when Vukadinovich walked. Sileo advanced both runners into scoring position with a SAC bunt only for Edgmon to load the bases in the next at bat when she was hit by a pitch. Black stepped up to the plate, with two outs, blasting a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left field for the grand slam, breaking the game open, 7-1. Neleman worked three straight flyouts, after walking the leadoff batter, to keep the momentum in the GT dugout heading into the late innings.
Dennis took over for Neleman in the fifth, working around a HBP for a scoreless frame. The offense added another run in the sixth when Edgmon tallied her third run of the game off a Domingue ground out. With a seven-run lead in her back pocket, Dennis continued dealing. After a leadoff walk, Dennis got the NC State batter to line out to Minghini at first, who quickly applied the tag to the runner on first before she could get back for a double play. Dennis induced a groundout to Sileo on the next pitch for a tidy eight-pitch sixth inning. In the seventh, Dennis left no doubt forcing weak contact for the first two outs before striking out the final batter of the day to secure the Jackets’ 14th win in a row.
UP NEXT
The Jackets will go for the series sweep against NC State on Sunday at 12 p.m. The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.
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