Jackets Pulverize Pitt in Doubleheader

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (13-7, 2-0 ACC) got its ACC season started with a flourish, dominating Pittsburgh (6-10, 0-2 ACC) with a pair if run-rule victories, 14-5 (5) and 10-1(6), on Saturday at Mewborn Field. The Yellow Jackets won both games with walk off home runs from Madison Dobbins and Tiffany Domingue. Tech launched seven home runs across both games, the most in a single day against an ACC opponent since 2010.

QUICK HITS: THE TEAM

• Georgia Tech has now hit 42 home runs this season, the most in Division I. That total ties the 2011 Yellow Jackets for the most home runs through 20 games in program history.
• Five different Jackets contributed home runs: Dobbins (two), Domingue (two), Mallorie Black, Sara Beth Allen and Abby Hughes.
• The Jackets have now hit at least one home run in 16 consecutive games, the longest streak since the 2011 season.
• 11 different Jackets have contributed at least one home run this year, with Hughes connecting for her first of the season in the second game today.
• The White & Gold launched seven home runs today, tying their season-best from earlier this year (Feb. 11 DH vs. Longwood). It’s the most home runs in a day since 2011 and the most in a single day against an ACC opponent since 2010.
• Tech has won 10 games in a row, the longest winning streak of the Morales era and the longest since winning 12 in a row back in the 2012 season.
• The Jackets have won 12 consecutive games at home dating back to Feb. 11, the longest home winning streak since winning 13-straight in 2022, the last year the Jackets reached the NCAA Tournament.
• The 12-game home winning streak is the second longest in the Aileen Morales era (7 seasons).
• The Jackets came from behind to win the second game today, scoring 10 straight runs after falling behind, 0-1, in the top of the first. Tech has come from behind in nine of its 13 victories so far, defeating opponents by an average margin of 5.56 runs, with four come-from-behind wins ending via run-rule, including today.
• Today’s walk offs were the fifth and sixth of the year. Tech has won each of its last three games via walk offs.
• GT is now 10-0 on its current 12-game home stand.
• The Jackets improve to 4-3 in ACC openers under Coach Morales.

QUICK HITS: THE BATS

• Dobbins set a new career-high with seven RBI in the opening game, thanks to a grand slam and a walk off three-run HR. It is the most RBI in a single game by a Jacket since the program record was set by Draven Sonnon (8 RBI – May 7, 2017 vs. Pitt).
• It was her third multi-HR game of the season (vs. Longwood 2/11 & vs. UNCG 2/23).
• Dobbins is now tied for the team-lead with eight home runs, while leading the ACC with 29 RBI.
• Domingue hit a home run in both games, including a walk off solo shot in game two. She has now hit five home runs this year, joining Dobbins (8), Black (8) and Allen (7) in the 5+ HR club.
• Black connected for her career-best eighth HR in the second game. She surpasses her previous career-best for home runs in a single season (7) set over the course of 53 games last year.
• Allen launched a HR in the second game for her 7^th of the season and 21^st as a Jacket.
• Hughes joined the HR party in the second game, hitting her first long ball of the season and sixth of her career. She added an RBI on a SAC fly earlier in the game for her first multi-RBI game of 2024.
• Junior Ella Edgmon tied her career-high twice today, scoring three runs in both games, tied for the most runs scored in a game over her career and tied for the most by any Jacket this season.
• Edgmon reached base in seven of her eight plate appearances today, going 5 for 6 with six runs, a double, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

QUICK HITS: THE ARMS

• Tech only needed three pitchers to collect its wins today.
• Senior Blake Neleman earned her fourth victory of the season, pitching the first 3.1 innings of game one. It was her 51^st career win, placing her just one win shy of Kristen Adkins for the 5^th most in program history.
• Junior Sophia Voyles collected the victory in game two, pitching 4.0 innings and sending down 12 of the last 14 batters she faced in the outing.
• Junior Kinsey Norton maintained her excellent form, pitching 3.2 innings in relief (1.2 IP in game one and 2.0 IP in game two). She finished the day with 3.2 IP, 0 runs allowed, three hits, one walk and three strikeouts.
• At home this season, Norton has pitched 22.2 innings with a 0.93 ERA across nine appearances.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1

Neleman took the ball to start the ACC season for the third year in a row, working around a single for a scoreless top of the first. The Jacket bats established themselves right away in the bottom of the inning with Edgmon, Allen and Black all reaching base via a hit-by-pitch, before Dobbins launched a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right center for a grand slam, putting the Jackets in front, 4-0, before recording an out. Neleman kept the momentum on Tech’s side with a 1-2-3 top of the second, including a three-pitch strikeout to start things off. In the bottom of the second, Edgmon was driven in by a SAC fly from Black before Dobbins put runners at the corners with a beautiful bunt single. Domingue was up next and launched a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall to put Tech in front, 8-0. Tech would load the bases later in the inning, with Reese Hunter scoring on a wild pitch, 9-0.

Neleman got out of a bases loaded jam in the third before Domingue drove in her fourth run of the day with a SAC fly to bring in Gracie Hillman, pinch running for Allen, to make it 10-0 Tech.

Pitt forced Neleman out of the game with a five-run fourth inning. Norton entered the game with one out and the bases loaded, striking out the first batter she faced and forcing a fly out after a wild pitch allowed the runner on third to make it a 10-5 score. Norton would dance around a pair of baserunners in the top of the fifth, holding Pitt scoreless thanks to a nice play at short from Jin Sileo to end the inning. Tech wasted no time in the bottom of the fifth, as all four batters reached base. Edgmon led off with a double down the left field line and did a great job of baserunning, baiting the Pitt shortstop into trying to get her out at second off a grounder from Allen to allow Allen on base via fielders’ choice. Black singled home Edgmon in the next at bat, putting runners on second and third for Dobbins, who ended the game with a three-run walk off home run to dead center.

Game 2

Voyles started the game in the circle for Tech. She gave up a leadoff single that came around to score thanks to three consecutive bunts before ending the inning with a punch out. That would be the only run Pitt would score for the game as the strikeout from Voyles began a stretch of retiring 10 of the last 12 batters she faced, collecting a 1-2-3 top of the third and only surrendering a single in the second and fourth innings.

The Tech offense didn’t let the game be tied for long, responding in the bottom of the first by loading the bases and scoring a run off a Domingue SAC fly, 1-1. Tech would take the lead in the bottom of the third thanks to another SAC fly, this time from Hughes who drove in Black following a leadoff double. The Jackets made it a 4-1 ball game after Allen’s fourth inning home run brought Edgmon home.

Norton entered the game to begin the fifth inning, inducing an inning ending double play (5-4-3) to get out of the fifth. After Hughes’ first HR of the year put the Jackets in front, 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Norton allowed the leadoff runner on with a walk, only for that runner to be cut down via fielders’ choice the next at bat. The Pitt hitter, unknowingly left first base after reaching on the fielders’ choice, walking toward her dugout and handing Tech a free out by leaving the base without calling time. Norton gladly accepted the out, striking out the final batter looking on a full count pitch.

The game ended in the bottom of the sixth. After Edgmon and Allen both reached via walks, Black launched a three-run homer to right center, 8-1, only for Dobbins to be hit by a pitch and Domingue to end the game with a walk off two-run blast to send the Tech faithful home happy with another walk off run-rule victory.

UP NEXT­­
Tech will look for the sweep over Pitt tomorrow at 1 pm at Mewborn Field. Tickets are available at buzz.gt/SBTickets

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