Tech Comes Up Short on Day 1 of Clearwater Invite

CLEARWATER, FLA. – Georgia Tech softball (3-5) battled hard in a pair of losses to No. 9 Stanford and No. 12 LSU on Thursday at the Eddie C. Moore softball complex in Clearwater, Fla. The Jackets hit five home runs across both games but ultimately fell short, falling to Stanford, 15-7, and to LSU, 12-8.

QUICK HITS

• The Yellow Jackets hit five home runs as a team today, with three against Stanford and two vs. LSU.
• Tech has hit 12 home runs over its last four games, the most in a four-game stretch in 13 seasons (13 HR – March 15-18, 2011).
• Senior 3B Mallorie Black was dominant at the dish today, going 6 for 7 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored as well as a stolen base.
• Black went 4 for 4 with a home run in the LSU game, the first Jacket to go 4 for 4 this season and the first since Emma Minghini last season (April 19 vs. Alabama St.).
• Black now leads the team with three home runs this season after hitting 10 through her first three seasons on The Flats.
• Sophomore catcher Reese Hunter blasted a pair of home runs vs. Stanford. Her first-career game with multiple dingers, joining Madison Dobbins as the only Jackets to have done so this season.
• Senior Jin Sileo rocketed her first homerun of the season and sixth of her career vs. Stanford. She’s already up to four RBI in the young 2024 season after driving in 10 last year.
• Sileo went 4 for 6 throughout the day with three RBI and three runs scored, tied for the most runs scored by any Jacket today (along with Black).
• Graduate senior 2B Tiffany Domingue connected for her first home run as a Jacket vs. LSU, a part of the Jackets four-run 7^th It is 33^rd career long ball after hitting 32 at her previous school.
• Domingue went 2 for 2 with three RBI in her plate appearances vs. LSU, her first hits as a Jacket.
• Freshman pitcher Makayla Coffield recorded her first collegiate strikeout on the first batter she faced after entering in the 6^th inning vs. LSU. She finished with two Ks in a career-long 2.0 innings of work.
• The Jackets offense scored 7 runs against Stanford, matching the total number of runs Stanford allowed in their previous five games this season.
• Tech delivered eight runs against LSU, who had held their opponents scoreless in each of their previous five games this year.

HOW IT HAPPENED

vs. Stanford

Sophia Voyles made her third start of the season and 12^th of her career. Voyles, Jaidyn Studebaker and Chandler Dennis each threw 2.0 innings in the game. The long ball was the theme of the game as Stanford connected for six home runs, accounting for 10 of the Cardinal’s 15 runs.

After a pair of Stanford home runs put the Jackets behind, 4-0, Sileo connected in the third inning for a two-run blast to drive in herself and Paige Vukadinovich to cut the lead in half. From that point on, both teams added at least one run in each inning with the Jackets responding with a Hunter home run to cut the deficit to 7-3. A pair of singles from Dobbins and Black added two more runs in the 5^th (9-5). Hunter’s second trip around the bases cut the lead to 15-6 before Sileo doubled home Vukadinovich for Tech’s seventh run. The arms couldn’t withstand the Cardinal attack though, and the game was called off after the sixth inning with Stanford leading, 15-7.

vs. LSU

Kinsey Norton made her second start of the season, matching her total number of starts from her first two years with the team. She mowed through the first inning, taking care of LSU in order. The Tiger offense came to life in the second though, as they scored runs in each of the next six innings off of Studebaker, Blake Neleman and Makayla Coffield.

Tech took the lead in the first inning with a two-out rally. Allen got the party started with a walk, Black singled next and Grace Connelly loaded the bases with a walk of her own. A passed ball and error from LSU led to chaos on the base paths and Allen and Black came scampering in to score. LSU took the lead back in the top of the 2^nd, growing the lead to 10-2, before Black homered to get Tech back on the board, 10-3. Domingue doubled, pinch hitting for Connelly, before being driven in by Gracyn Tucker, who has now reached base safely in each of her last six plate appearances, going 5 for 5 with a walk, a home run, a double and three RBI. After LSU added on two more in the top of the 7^th (12-4), the Jackets went off for four runs, thanks to an RBI single from Black and a three-run home run from Domingue. The bats ran out of time in the end, falling by four runs despite scoring six in the final two innings.

UP NEXT­­
The Jackets will take on Minnesota on day two of the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational. First pitch is set for 5 pm (pending the length of games taking place prior to) and will be streamed on ESPN+.

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