Feb. 27, 2007
ATLANTA – Junior Brittany Barnes hit her team-leading eighth home run of the season driving in five runs and senior Caitlin Lever was a perfect 4-for-4, with four runs scored and one RBI, to lead No. 21 Georgia Tech (13-2) past Oakland University (2-3), 14-6 in six innings, on Tuesday at Glenn Field.
Sophomore Jennifer Yee drove in three runs for the Yellow Jackets, finishing 2-for-3, with a double. Senior Kristina Hull finished 3-for-4, with two RBI, and junior Aileen Morales hit a home run, finishing 3-for-4 with one stolen base, to pace Tech offensively.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Lacey Richardson (1-0) came into the circle in relief, throwing 3.2 innings, giving up no hits, no runs and struck out two in the win.
OU’s Julie Owen led the Golden Grizzlies at the plate, going 2-for-4, with one run scored and one RBI. Niki Schulty (0-2) took the loss in the circle, throwing 1.0 inning, allowing five hits and five earned runs.
The Golden Grizzlies jumped in front of the Jackets in the top of the first inning with two runs on just one hit. Niki Schulty hit a sacrifice fly to left field with runners at second and third and one out, and scored the second run on an error by the Tech third baseman error.
Tech responded in the bottom of the first inning with five runs on five hits. Morales led off the game with her third home run of the season, Lever doubled to score a run, Barnes doubled to left field to score two runs and sophomore Tiffany Johnson drove in a run as the Jackets led 5-2.
OU scored its second unearned run in the second inning as Caitlin Lynch laced one off the shortstop’s glove with two outs to score the runner from third base and cut the deficit to two, 5-3.
The Jackets continued to pile up the runs in the bottom of the second inning scoring four more, highlighted by an RBI double by Yee and a three-run shot to left field by Barnes as Tech increased its lead to six runs, 9-3.
The Golden Grizzlies continued to put runs on the scoreboard with three more in the top of the third inning. Maria Benza entered the game as a pinch hitter and doubled off the fence to drive in a run, Rachele Pasquali had a pinch hit sacrifice fly to center field for the second run and Julie Owen singled for the second time in the game, an RBI to right field as Tech’s lead shrunk to three, 9-6.
The Yellow Jackets tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth inning as Hull singled to left field to score Lever who reached on a single, stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher as Tech led by six, 10-6.
The Jackets tacked on four more runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning as Yee drove in two runs to end the game as the Rambling Wreck defeated the Golden Grizzlies, 14-6, in six innings.
Tech scored 14 runs, on 16 hits and had four errors, while OU scored six runs, on four hits and committed two errors.
The Yellow Jackets will host Chattanooga on Wednesday, Feb. 28, for a non-conference doubleheader at 1 p.m. The game can be followed on www.ramblinwreck.com.
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