March 26, 2003
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
ATLANTA – Junior All-American Tara Knudsen homered twice and drove in five runs in game one, and sophomore Katie Donovan plated all three runs in the second contest as the Georgia Tech softball team (24-13) swept a doubleheader from Harvard (3-11) Wednesday at Glenn Field. The Jackets won game one, 5-2, and took the second, 3-2, on Donovan’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly.
With the two victories, Tech has now won 11 of its last 13 games and moves to 8-1 at home this season.
In game one, the Jackets scored all five runs via Knudsen’s seventh and eighth home runs of the season. The first blast, which knotted the game at two, came in the third after designated player Tara Neff reached on an error. Knudsen’s second shot to right center was of the three-run variety and gave the Jackets a 5-2 lead in the fifth. Neff and center fielder Sara Wissmann led off the frame with singles before the second homer of the game. Knudsen now leads the team with eight home runs and 24 runs batted in. She is also batting a season-high .308.
Junior Erin Voeltz picked up the game one victory to move to 8-3 this season. She went seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out five. After spotting the Crimson a 2-0 lead in the third, Voeltz settled down and kept Harvard off the scoreboard for the final four innings of the game.
Knudsen was 2-for-3 with the two homers and a season-high five RBI. Right fielder Soraya Reddick also went 2-for-3.
Cecily Gordon, one of three Crimson batters with two hits, drove in both Harvard runs in game one. Kara Brotemarkle (1-6) took the loss for Harvard after allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings.
Much like the first game, the Crimson jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning of game two, which was delayed 17 minutes due to rain in the middle of the second. After a walk to Lauren Stefanchik and Rachel Goldberg reached on an error, Tiffany Whitton doubled to down the right field line to score both runs.
Harvard held the two-run lead until Tech rallied to tie the score in the bottom of the fifth. Neff reached on an infield single to start the two-out rally. Knudsen then walked before Donovan doubled to right field to plate both Neff and Knudsen and tie the score.
With Tech starter Jessica Sallinger in her groove, Harvard was unable to muster a hit after the third inning. But the Jackets were unable to scratch as well, and the game moved into extra innings tied at two.
After holding Harvard scoreless in the top of the eighth, the Jackets put the game away in the bottom half of the inning. Neff, who was placed at second due to the international tie-breaker rule, advanced to third on a ground out by Knudsen and then came home with the game-winner when Donovan field out to deep right field, giving Tech a 3-2 victory.
With the win Sallinger improves to 13-9 on the season. She fired an eight-inning, two-hitter and allowed just one earned run. Sallinger also struck out 10, giving her 204 on the season in just 134 innings pitched. She also owns a team-best 1.31 earned run average.
Neff went 2-of-4 with two runs scored, while Donovan was 1-of-3 with three RBI to place the Jackets at the plate.
Lauren Tanner, who tossed the final 2.2 innings for the Crimson, took the loss.
The Jackets return to action Sunday when they travel to Mercer for a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
-GT-
