THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (15-7, 3-0 ACC) completed a perfect, 12-0, homestand on Wednesday night at Mewborn Field, defeating Jacksonville State (7-13, 0-0 C-USA) by a final score of 8-6. The Yellow Jackets have now completed the longest undefeated homestand in program history and extend their home winning streak to 14 games.
QUICK HITS: THE TEAM
- The Jackets went undefeated in their longest homestand of the year, winning all 12 games – the longest undefeated homestand in program history.
- Tech has won 12 games in a row, the longest winning streak of the Morales era and the longest since winning 14 in a row back in the 2011 season.
- The Jackets have won 14 consecutive games at home dating back to Feb. 11, the longest home winning streak since winning 17-straight between the end of the 2021 season and start of 2022.
- GT has now hit 45 home runs this season, the most among Power 5 teams. That total ties the 2010 Yellow Jackets for the most home runs through 22 games in program history.
- The Jackets have now hit at least one home run in 18 consecutive games, the longest streak since the 2011 season.
- The Tech defense turned two double plays, including a game ending double play in the 7th, extending its ACC lead to 11 double plays turned this year.
- The White & Gold came from behind, erasing both 0-2 and 3-5 deficits tonight. Tech has come from behind in 10 of its 15 victories so far, defeating opponents by an average margin of 5.2 runs, with four come-from-behind wins ending via run-rule.
QUICK HITS: THE BATS
- Madison Dobbins added three more RBI with a three-run home run in the first inning.
- She now owns sole possession of the most RBI (33) and the most home runs (9) in the ACC.
- Dobbins has reached base in 11 consecutive games for the first time in her career.
- Sara Beth Allen notched her 8th HR of the season in the third inning to cut the lead to 4-5.
- The home run would be Allen’s only official at bat of the game as she finished with two walks and a HBP, tying her career high with three runs scored, a career high she set just last Saturday, against Pitt.
- Allen’s three runs give her a new career-best for runs scored in a single season (25) after playing in less than half of the games she needed to set it last season.
- The home run gives her 21 RBI on the season, the seventh most in the ACC.
- Allen has now reached base safely in 15 consecutive games.
- Ella Edgmon extended her career-best hitting streak to nine games, tying her with Tiffany Domingue for the longest hitting streak of the season.
- Edgmon came around to score both times she reached base, scoring after an HBP in the first inning and scoring in the four-run fourth inning after securing her streak with a two-out bunt single. She has now reached base safely in 14 consecutive games.
- Edgmon has now scored multiple runs in four-straight games, the longest streak of her career.
- Mallorie Black extended her career-best on-base streak to 19 games with a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth.
- Black now has 25 RBI on the year, the third most in the ACC.
- Paige Vukadinovich enjoyed a two-hit day, her 7th of the season and 10th of her career. She added a double, bringing her season total to six, the second most on the team and 6th most in the ACC.
- Domingue added a pair of hits as well, her 5th multi-hit performance as a Jacket.
- Her second hit of the day drove in two in the bottom of the fourth, those two runs proved to be the difference in the game.
- Domingue now owns 24 RBI this season, the fourth most in the ACC.
- 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 (19), Allen (15), Edgmon (14) and Dobbins (11) all have double-digit active on-base streaks.
QUICK HITS: THE ARMS
- Tech used three pitchers to complete the victory tonight.
- Jaidyn Studebaker made her third career start, pitching the opening 1.2 innings.
- Chandler Dennis took the ball with two-outs and two runners on in the second. She pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
- Dennis earned the win for her performance tonight, bringing her season record to 3-0.
- She has been lights out in her last two appearances, pitching a combined 8.1 innings against JSU and Pitt with a 0.81 ERA and only one extra base hit allowed (a double).
- Kinsey Norton closed out the game in the seventh to earn her second save of the year and fourth of her career.
- Norton has not allowed a run in any of her past five appearances, pitching 7.1 innings and only allowing six base runners over that stretch.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gamecocks got on the board early with a two-run HR in the top of the first. Studebaker settled in for the rest of the inning though, striking out JSU’s No. 3 and 4 hitters before inducing a groundout to get out of the inning. Dennis would come into the game before the end of the second, as JSU added on three more runs. Dennis took control of the game from that point on, recording 10 consecutive outs between the end of the second and the end of the fifth innings to cool down the JSU bats and allow the Tech offense to score enough runs for the victory. Norton took over to close out the 7th inning, allowing the first two batters on before getting a fielders’ choice and a game ending double play to collect the save.
After JSU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Edgmon and Allen were both hit by pitches to start the bottom of the inning and came home to score on the Dobbins three-run blast, giving Tech the lead, 3-2. JSU would go back in front in the top of the second, 5-3, but the offense had an answer for that too. Allen cut the lead to one run with a solo shot in the bottom of the third before a four-run fourth inning put the Jackets in front for good.
In the bottom of the fourth, Reese Hunter got the ball rolling with a leadoff single. Hillman entered to run for Hunter and advanced to second on a single from Vukadinovich. Allen worked a two-out walk to load the bases for Black, who dropped a single in to center field to bring home two runs, putting Tech in front, 6-5. Domingue added two more insurance runs when she drove in Allen and Black with an RBI single one batter later.
Those insurance runs would prove to be critical as the Gamecocks scratched a run across in the top of the sixth. The sixth inning was also the start of the defensive clinic put on by Tech as Dennis fielded a comeback ground ball, whipping it to Black at third who threw across the diamond for a momentum breaking double play. That defense extended into the seventh where Tech ended the game with a 5-4-3 double play to secure the perfect homestand.
UP NEXT
After 12 games in a row at Mewborn Field, the Jackets head out on the road for their first ACC road series against NC State (14-5, 1-2 ACC). First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on Friday evening, although inclement weather in the forecast may alter the schedule. Potential further schedule updates will be available online at ramblinwreck.com and @GaTechSoftball on X.
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