March 31, 2012
RALEIGH, N.C. – Using 15 hits, the Georgia Tech softball team earned a doubleheader sweep of NC State with 6-4 and 6-3 victories over the Wolfpack Saturday night. The Yellow Jackets (22-16, 5-3 ACC) were led by Hope Rush’s3-for-5 effort also notching two walks and a home run.
NC State dropped to 15-21 on the season and are still winless in ACC play (0-7).
Hope Rush pitched all seven innings in game one for the Jackets allowing six hits and four runs, striking out two to earn her 14th win of the season.. Kylie Kleinschmidtpicked up her third win of the season after a four hit, three run effort.
The long ball helped the Yellow Jackets to the game one victory as two Yellow Jackets went deep in the 6-4 victory. Rush started things off with a solo shot to left centerfield that, if there wasn’t netting up in the outfield, would have gone for miles. However, NC State evened things up in the bottom half of the inning.
In the third, Tech added to its lead using five-straight hits to garner its runs. Chelsie Thomas and Ashley Thomas both had infield singles while Kate Kuzma singled to left. Chelsie Thomas who was trying to sneak in another run, was thrown out at the plate, but Ashley Thomas and Kuzma moved up on the throw. With runners on second and third, Kelsi Weseman delivered a two-out hit to centerfield to score two and then came home in the next at bat as Alysha Rudnikblasted a two-run shot to deep centerfield for the 5-1 lead.
Tech tacked on another run in the fifth inning. Weseman registered another single, this time through the right side, moved all the way to third on a couple wild pitches and scored on a passed ball to give Tech a 6-1 advantage.
NC State got two runs back in the fifth inning and another in the bottom of the sixth, but some strong defensive plays by Ashley Thomas retreating on a pop up and at second by Chelsie Thomasstretching to make the force out at the bag, ended things and Tech walked away with the 6-4 victory.
Tech’s offense kept going into game two. Ashley Thomas led things off with a single up the middle moving over to second as Weseman walked. Thomas came around to score on a single to right by Hope Rush as all runners earned two bases on the play with Kelly Delashmit stepping in to pinch run for Rush. A dropped pop up by the Wolfpack second baseman allowed Weseman to score and Delashmit to move up. With bases loaded, Katie Johnskydribbled one to first that scored Delashmit for the 3-0 lead.
NC State got two back in the bottom of the third on a pinch-hit homerun by Sara Lippard to left field, the first career homer for the freshman to cut the Tech lead to just one, 3-2.
But the Jackets responded in the top of the fifth as Hayley Downs delivered a big two-out single up the middle to score Shannon Bear and pinch runner Kaitlin Katesto regain a three-run advantage, 5-2.
Tech tacked on another run in the sixth as what looked like an inning-ending double play turned into a throwing error and a score for the Jackets with Rudnik coming around to score from first.
NC State got one back in the bottom of the seventh, but that was all as Tech went on to earn the sweep, 6-3.
The Jackets will finish up their weekend series with NC State with a Noon finale at Dail Stadium.
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
