PITTSBURGH, PA. – Georgia Tech softball (19-12, 7-5) claimed the series against Pitt (11-18; 1-8 ACC) after a nine-run shutout performance on Sunday afternoon. Senior pitcher Sophia Voyles shutdown the Panthers’ offense completely while four Jackets cleared the walls of Vartabedian Field for the six-inning victory.
QUICK HITS
- Voyles made her 13th start of the season in the circle for Tech and neared her season high of 10 strikeouts with nine in 6.0 innings pitched.
- The senior surrendered no runs and allowed only one hit against 20 total batters faced, hurling 47 strikes out of 77 total pitches (61% strikes thrown), to earn her third shutout of the season, Tech’s fourth overall for the year.
- Voyles’ one hit surrendered to the Panthers in the six-inning game goes down as her second game of the season surrendering only one run, the first of which was during Tech’s win against No. 22 Auburn.
- Gracyn Tucker (9), Alyssa Willer (4), Jayden Gailey (2), and Addison Leschber (4) all recorded one home run respectively on Sunday, tying Tech’s season high for home runs in a single game, originally set against No. 18 Stanford.
- Tucker’s home run was not only her ninth of the season but her second career grand slam and Tech’s fourth grand slam this season.
- The Jackets also set a new season high for total bases (22), surpassing their previous season high of 20, set against both No. 18 Stanford and Kennesaw State.
- Tucker’s season high seven total bases in game three against Pitt now put her tied with Leschber for the longest reached streak of the season (10 games).
- The third baseman’s three hits on Sunday bring her to six multi-hit games this season; Willer’s team high three hits on Sunday bring her to multi-hit games as well.
- Tucker’s five RBI recorded on Sunday bring her to a team high seven multi-RBI games this season. She joins Willer as one of only two Jackets so far this season recording five or more RBI in a game.
- Willer continues to post exceptional numbers in her first year battling ACC opponents, sitting with a .429 batting average, .857 slugging percentage, and .550 on base percentage as well as 11 team, 12 hits, four home runs, 12 RBI, and 24 total bases in solely conference play.
- Since the beginning of conference play, Tech has record 15 home runs across 13 games, both conference and non-conference, with 13 of those 15 home runs being against ACC opponents.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Jackets struck early, as Tucker similar to game two of the series provided Tech’s its first run with Gailey reaching home off the third baseman’s double.
- With two outs and the bases loaded as a result of three walks, Tucker gave the Yellow Jackets a five-run lead with a home run over left center in the second.
- Leschber extended Tech’s lead in the top of the third with a leadoff solo shot over the right center wall.
- Tech continued its scoring frenzy in the top of the sixth with a two-run homer from Willer that brought Vukadinovich home and the Jackets that much closer to a run-rule victory.
- Gailey’s solo shot over left center got the nail ready to be put in the coffin for the Panthers before one final strikeout from Voyles and a pair of ground outs would conclude the series.
- In her 16th appearance of the season, Voyles struck out at least one batter each inning and claimed two of the three outs in the first, third, and fifth innings.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech softball will return home to Mewborn Field to host Mercer on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before welcoming OSU and Penn State Thursday – Sunday for a Bye Weekend Tournament.
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.
