May 8, 2011
ATLANTA – Ashley Stager hit two home runs and Jessica Nori tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of relief as the Florida State softball team (27-26, 9-11 ACC) scored seven unanswered runs and beat No. 19/17 Georgia Tech (44-9, 18-2), 9-4, Sunday afternoon at Mewborn Field in the regular season finale.
The Yellow Jackets had already clinched the No. 1 seed in next week’s ACC Tournament and won the series with a pair of wins yesterday to extend their ACC-record streak of series wins to 24.
The Seminoles pounded out 15 hits on the day as the Yellow Jackets stranded 12 runners. Sophomore Hope Rush (12-4) started for Tech and took the loss as she was charged with five earned runs on 10 hits and two walks. She fanned one. Freshman Lindsey Anderson surrendered four earned runs in 3.1 innings of relief work on five hits and a walk. She struck out two.
Junior Kelsi Weseman hit her ACC-leading 21st home run of the season while junior Kate Kuzma had two hits. Junior Danielle Dike added a RBI double for the Yellow Jackets.
The Yellow Jackets jumped out on Florida State ace Sarah Hamilton early as Weseman blasted her 21st home run of the season to dead center field in the first inning to put Tech on top 2-0.
The Seminoles came right back to the tie the game in the top of the second inning on a two-run double by Courtney Senas, but Rush got out of a first and third jam with one out to keep the game tied at two.
Tech re-took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when junior Danielle Dike doubled home sophomore pinch runner Kelly Delashmit to put the Jackets up 3-2. Weseman was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out, but Hamilton came back to strike out senior Kristine Priebe and junior Kate Kuzma and keep it a 3-2 game.
In the bottom of the third, senior pinch hitter Jessica Weaver drew a bases loaded walk after a 10-pitch at bat to make it 4-2 Jackets, but Jessica Nori came into the game in relief of Hamilton and struck out Weseman to end the inning as Tech’s runners left on base tally climbed to eight.
Florida State continued to stay in the game as Ashley Stager led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to trim Tech’s lead to a run at 4-3. Later in the inning a two-run, two-out double by Kristie McConn put the Seminoles on top 5-4 and knocked Rush out of the game. Anderson came in and recorded the final out of the inning as Tech trailed for the first time in the game.
The Seminoles added two runs in the sixth off Anderson to take a 7-4 lead and then Stager’s second home run of the day, a two-run shot, in the seventh inning gave FSU a 9-4 advantage and the Jackets would not threaten again.
Georgia Tech now prepares for the upcoming ACC Tournament, May 13-15, at Mewborn Field. The Yellow Jackets, winners of the last two ACC titles, will be the No. 1 seed and play eighth-seeded Virginia in the first round Friday at 5 p.m. Live audio, video and stats will be available at www.RamblinWreck.com. For complete coverage of the 2011 ACC Championship, click on the special button.
Follow Georgia Tech Softball all season at www.Twitter.com/GaTechSoftball and on Facebook.
