Feb. 28, 2007
ATLANTA – Junior Whitney Humphreys (6-1) tossed her second complete-game shutout in the opener, scattering three hits and striking out three and junior Brittany Barnes homered twice in the nightcap sparking a four-run seventh inning to lead No. 21 Georgia Tech (15-2) to a sweep over Chattanooga (7-9), 8-0 (6) and 6-5, on Wednesday at Glenn Field.
Barnes, a native of Lawrenceville, Ga., has 10 home runs on the season, tops in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Sophomore Whitney Haller went 2-for-3, with a home run and four runs batted in, for the Jackets in the opener. Senior Caitlin Lever drove in the game-winning run for Tech in game two with two outs and a runner on third with a single through the right side.
Senior Kristina Hull and sophomore Blair Shimandle each had two hits in the opening game to pace the Jackets offensively. Senior Daisy Paez smashed a game-tying pinch hit home run in the bottom of the seventh inning in the nightcap for the Rambling Wreck.
Sophomore Tiffany Johnson (5-1) came into the game in the fifth inning to post her fifth victory of the season. She threw 3.0 innings, allowing just two hits, walked none and struck out five.
In game one, the Yellow Jackets’ Haller smashed her fifth home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning, a three-run shot, to left field as Tech scored three runs in the first to lead 3-0.
Tech scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second inning as Hull singled through the left side, advanced to second on a ground out, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a throwing error by the UTC catcher as the Jackets’ lead was four, 4-0.
Hull doubled off the fence and scored on a wild pitch, sophomore Jennifer Yee singled to center field to score a run and Haller tripled to right-center field to score Yee in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Jackets increased their lead to seven, 7-0.
Tech ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning courtesy of the eight-run mercy rule as Shimandle singled to center field to plate Johnson who had a pinch hit single to left field to give the Jackets an 8-0 victory in the opening game.
Tech scored eight runs, on eight hits and had no errors, while UTC had no runs, three hits and committed one error.
In game two, UTC’s Tara Tembey and Brittany Eason hit back-to-back home runs to give the Lady Mocs a 2-0 lead in inning two.
The Jackets fell behind by five runs as the Lady Mocs scored two unearned runs and Laci Upchurch drove in another as Chattanooga led 5-0.
Barnes drilled a two-run home run to left field, her team-leading ninth of the season, to drive in two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Jackets cut the deficit to three, 5-2.
It looked like the Yellow Jackets were going to score a run in the bottom of the fifth inning as junior Aileen Morales laced a line drive that the UTC third baseman snagged and prevented sophomore Blair Shimandle from scoring as the Rambling Wreck trailed 5-2 after five innings of play.
Barnes sparked the comeback in the final inning with a leadoff dinger, then after a an error by UTC, Paez pinch hit for Shimandle and smashed a two-run home run to left field to tie the game. Morales then doubled to left field, advanced to third on a ground out and Lever drove her in with a single to right field.
Tech scored six runs, on 10 hits and had one error, while the Lady Mocs scored five runs, on nine hits and committed one error.
The Yellow Jackets will host the annual Buzz Classic Tournament, March 2-4, in Woodstock, Ga. The games will be played at Twin Creek Softball Complex and will host 25 teams. Action begins at 10 a.m. on Friday.
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