Feb. 12, 2011
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Updated Stats
Georgia Tech Video Central | Follow Georgia Tech Softball On Twitter
CLERMONT, Fla. – The No. 18/17 Georgia Tech Softball team (4-0) pounded out 23 hits, including 10 for extra-bases, en route to a 6-0 win over Fordham (1-1) and a 6-1 victory against Chattanooga (1-3) on Saturday in the second day of Dot Richardson’s National Collegiate Invitational.
Freshman Alysha Rudnik went 4-for-8 with a double, triple and four RBI while senior Christy Jones was also 4-for-8 with a RBI. Junior Kelsi Weseman had two doubles, a home run and two RBI. Sophomore Hope Rush and junior Danielle Dike also homered for the Yellow Jackets.
Rush (2-0) won the first game of the day against Fordham with five shutout innings while freshman Lindsey Anderson (1-0) won in her first collegiate start in the night cap against UTC. Anderson allowed one run on two hits wile striking out seven batters. Senior Kristen Adkins, who pitched two innings in relief of both games, picked up her first save of the season against UTC.
Game one appeared like it would be a pitcher’s dual between Rush and Fordham first-team All-American Jen Mineau and it was just that for the first five innings. Tech jumped out on Mineau for a run in the first inning and that turned out to be enough.
After retiring the first two batters in the first inning, Mineau gave up a single to freshman Alysha Rudnik before she came around to score on a double to left field by senior Kristine Priebe.
Georgia Tech had a chance for more, but stranded two runners on base. That would be the theme for the afternoon as Tech left eight on in Mineau’s five innings of work and 11 for the game.
Fordham had its best scoring chance against Rush in the fourth as a single and hit batsman gave the Rams two on with no outs. Rush came back, however, to get a strikeout and double-play to get out of the jam.
In the fifth, the Jackets had a chance to get some insurance for Rush but Mineau got out of a first and third, one-out jam. Rush flied out to shallow left field and then junior Kate Kuzma grounded out to end the threat as Mineau kept her team within striking distance.
When the top of the sixth began, that was the afternoon for Mineau as Jamie LaBovick entered the game in relief. Mineau allowed the one earned run in her five innings of work and was charged with five hits and three walks while striking out three.
Tech jumped all over LaBovick for five runs in the final two innings to account for the 6-0 score. With the bases loaded and two outs, Rudnik lined an 0-2 pitch off the fence in right field giving Tech a 4-0 lead. Junior Danielle Dike then made it a 6-0 game with a two-run home run to dead center in the top of the seventh inning. For Dike, it was her second round-tripper in as many games.
Senior Kristen Adkins came into the game in relief of Rush with a runner on and no outs in the sixth inning and kept the Rams off the scoreboard. She allowed a pair of infield singles, did not walk a batter and struck out two in her two innings.
In the night cap against UTC, the Yellow Jackets struck first for a run of UTC pitcher Nikki Waters in the opening inning. After Weseman doubled with one out, she came around to score on a double by Rudnik.
Tech added to the lead in the third inning. After senior Christy Jones led off with a single to left field, Weseman made it 3-0 with a two-run home run over the fence in left-center field. It was her second round-tripper of the season.
In the top of the fifth inning, UTC got on the board with a run but it could have been worse for Anderson. The Lady Mocs had two on with nobody out, but Anderson got out of it with just the one run scoring on a sac fly.
Adkins came out for the sixth inning came and was able to escape a jam by snaring a line drive to end with the inning with a runner on third base. The Yellow Jacket offense helped her out by adding some insurance in the bottom half of the inning.
Rush led off with a solo home run to right field, her first of the season. Tech added two more later in the inning on a RBI triple by freshman Ashley Thomas and a RBI single off the bat of Jones.
The Yellow Jackets conclude play at the National Training Center on Sunday at 11 a.m. with another game against Fordham. Live audio and stats are available for every Georgia Tech Softball game this season at RamblinWreck.com. Select games, including tomorrow against the Rams, will also be broadcast on WREK, 91.1 FM in Atlanta.
Follow Georgia Tech Softball all season at twitter.com/GaTechSoftball and on Facebook for the most complete information.
