March 8, 2007
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Sophomore Tiffany Johnson (8-2) picked up two wins in the circle, throwing 10.0 innings, allowing five hits and struck out 10, and junior Savannah Brown finished the afternoon 3-for-6, with five runs batted in, including the game-winning hit in the nightcap, to lead No. 19 Georgia Tech (22-3) to a sweep over Indiana (3-5), 16-8 (6), and Northern Illinois (5-6), 4-1, at the USF adidas Invitational on Thursday.
Senior Caitlin Lever went 4-for-7 on the day, scoring four runs and driving in three runs, while sophomore Blair Shimandle finished the doubleheader 4-for,7, with a stolen base and two RBIs. Junior Brittany Barnes went 2-for-3, with five RBIs against the Hoosiers, while sophomore Whitney Haller finished 3-for-4 against the Huskies in game two to pace the Jackets offensively.
Junior Whitney Humphreys (9-1) had a no decision in the opener versus IU, throwing 3.0 innings, allowing eight hits, eight runs, four earned runs and fanned three. Sophomore Jennifer Yee drove in three of the four runs in the game against NIU, smashing her fourth home run of the season.
The Yellow Jackets took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning against the Hoosiers as Lever singled to drive in a run and Barnes doubled off the right-center field fence to plate two more.
Tech tacked on four more runs in the top of the second inning, courtesy of a two-run single by Lever, a RBI single by junior Savannah Brown and a bases loaded walk RBI by senior Kristina Hull as the Jackets led 7-0.
The Hoosiers answered with four runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning, on a Tech error which allowed two runs and RBIs by Kim Richards and Emily Bergeson as the lead was cut to three, 7-4.
The Jackets’ Brown and Barnes posted RBIs in the top of the third inning and Shimandle singled to right field to score two more as Tech increased its lead to eight runs, 12-4.
Barnes singled to center field to plate two more runs for the Rambling Wreck in the top of the fourth inning to give the Jackets their largest lead of the game at 10, 14-4.
IU’s Bergeson led off the fourth inning with a solo home run and the Hooisers scored three more runs, two unearned, on a fielder’s choice by Jennifer Huddleston and a sacrifice fly by Tory Yamaguchi as Tech led by six, 14-8, after four complete innings of play.
Brown drove in two more runs for the Jackets in the top of the sixth inning to increase the lead to eight, 16-8. Johnson held the Hoosiers scoreless in the bottom half of the inning for the eight-run rule victory.
Tech scored 16 runs, on 12 hits and had one error, while Indiana scored six runs, on eight hits and had no errors.
Against NIU, the Jackets took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as junior Aileen Morales led off the game with a triple and Yee drove her in as Tech led 1-0.
The Huskies tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-out single by Bailey Quellette singled to right field as the game advanced to the fifth inning tied at 1-1.
Brown drove in Lever from second base in the top of the sixth inning with one out on a single up the middle to give the Jackets their second one-run lead of the game, 2-1.
Yee struck again for the Jackets in the top of the seventh inning with a two-run blast to right field as Tech opened up a three-run lead, 4-1. Johnson allowed one infield single and struck out two in the bottom half to secure win for Tech.
Tech scored four runs, on nine hits and had no errors, while the Huskies scored one run, on four hits and had no errors.
The Yellow Jackets will return to action on Friday with two more games in pool play against Massachusetts (11 a.m.) and Tennessee Tech (1 p.m.). All Tech games can be followed on www.ramblinwreck.com.
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