April 28, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Senior Kristina Hull smacked a two-run home run to tie the game, and junior Aileen Morales doubled down the left field line in the seventh inning, to give No. 20 Georgia Tech (49-13, 14-6 ACC) an 11-10 come-from-behind victory over Virginia (17-37, 1-20 ACC) in Atlantic Coast Conference softball action on Saturday at The Park.
Sophomore Whitney Haller finished the game 3-for-5, with four runs batted in and a home run (14) to lead the Yellow Jackets offensively. Morales went 3-for-5, with her sixth home run of the season, while junior Brittany Barnes added a 3-for-4 performance, with two doubles.
Senior Sarah Wood (10-1) won her sixth consecutive game for the Jackets, picking up the win in relief, tossing 3.0 innings, allowing one run and four hits, striking out one.
Hull finished the game 2-for-4, with her 10th home run of the season, while fellow senior Caitlin Lever blasted her 10th dinger of the season, to go 2-for-4, with two RBIs. Junior Stephanie Butler smacked a season-high two doubles, finishing 2-for-3 for the Jackets.
Sophomore Tiffany Johnson (16-6) got the start for Tech in the circle, working 3.0 innings, allowing four hits, five earned runs and walked four, in a no decision. Junior Whitney Humphreys (21-6) also tallied a no decision in relief, tossing just 1.0 inning, allowing three hits, four runs, three earned runs and walked two.
The Yellow Jackets scored a run in the top of the first inning as Lever doubled to left-center field with two outs to score Yee as Tech led 1-0.
The Cavaliers sparked for four runs in the bottom half of the first inning, thanks to three walks and a hit-by-pitch, one with the bases loaded, and a two-RBI double by Kierstie Cameron and a RBI single by Sarah Tacke as the Jackets trailed, 4-1.
The Rambling Wreck scored two runs in the top of the second inning, courtesy of a two-run shot by Morales to center field as the lead was cut to one, 4-3.
Barnes just missed tying the game in the top of the third inning, hitting a shot to left field which struck the top of the fence, but somehow bounced back towards the field instead of falling over for a double. Tech was unable to plate her as UVa remained up by one.
UVa scored a run on a wild pitch with a runner on third base in the bottom of the third inning to increase its lead to two runs, 5-3.
The Rambling Wreck took their second lead of the game in the top of the fourth inning as Haller blasted a three-run shot to left field and Lever homered to right-center field, a solo blast, to give the Jackets a two-run lead, 7-5.
The Cavaliers scored a run in the bottom half of the fourth inning as the Tech second baseman booted a ball with two outs which allowed the runner to score from third. With UVa’s top threat Kelly Haller up, Humphreys induced a pop out to shortstop to preserve the lead for the Jackets, 7-6.
UVa’s Sarah Tacke smacked a two-run home run to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Wahoos scored on a wild pitch to give the Cavaliers their second lead of the game, 9-7.
Down to their last at bats, the Yellow Jackets would not go without a fight as Barnes led off with a double and Hull connected on a 2-2 pitch that struck the top of the fence, this time going Tech’s way over the fence, to tie the game at 9-9.
Still in the seventh inning, sophomore Blair Shimandle walked and advanced to second on a perfectly executed bunt by Butler. Morales then doubled down the left field line to give the Jackets their third lead of the game, 10-9. With two outs, Haller added an insurance run with a soft single to center field to score Morales as the Rambling Wreck to an 11-9 lead into the bottom half of the seventh.
The Cavaliers would not go down without a fight, as UVa began its final inning with two consecutive singles, a strikeout, and then a hit-batsman, as the bases were loaded with one out. After a sacrifice fly made it 11-10, Wood got a ground ball to shortstop where Haller dug a bad throw out of the dirt to preserve a win, 11-10.
Tech scored 11 runs, on 17 hits and had one error, while Virginia scored 10 runs, on 11 hits and committed two errors.
The Yellow Jackets will wait and see the outcome of the ACC games this weekend to determine where they finish in league standings. The ACC Tournament will take place, May 10-13, in Tallahassee, Fla., at Florida State. Tech is currently in third place in the standings.
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