April 13, 2011
ATLANTA. – Ashley Razey hit a go-ahead grand slam highlighting a five-run sixth inning as the No. 4/5 Georgia softball team (36-6) beat No. 23/22 Georgia Tech (34-8), 10-8, in front of 1,384 fans Wednesday night at Mewborn Field. The Yellow Jackets led 4-0 and 6-4 in the game which featured seven home runs from the two teams combined.
Junior Kelsi Weseman led the Yellow Jackets going 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. Junior Kate Kuzma, sophomore Caitlin Jordan and freshman Alysha Rudnik also went deep for Tech. Jordan was 3-for-3 with two RBI while freshman Ashley Thomas also recorded three hits.
Georgia Tech jumped all over UGA starter Erin Arevalo in the bottom of the first inning as she lasted just two-thirds of an inning. Freshman Ashley Thomas got the inning going with a one-out single up the middle and then scored on the next pitch when junior Kelsi Weseman launched her team-high 15th home run of the season over the fence in right-center field to put the Yellow Jackets up 2-0. Two batters later, junior Kate Kuzma went deep to left-center field for her third home run of the season and that was it for Arevalo. Alison Owen came into the game in relief of Arevalo and freshman Alysha Rudnik took her deep to dead center field for her 14th home run of the season as Tech carried a 4-0 lead into the second inning.
Georgia got right back in the game in the top of the second inning when Taylor Schlopy hit a two-out, three run home run just inside the left-field foul pole. Anderson avoided any further damage by getting out of a two on and two out jam.
Ashley Pauly tied the game for the Bulldogs with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning.
The Yellow Jackets went back on top 6-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Singles for sophomore Caitlin Jordan, senior Christy Jones and Thomas loaded bases with one out. Weseman then came up and lined a single into center field plating two and putting Tech up 6-4. Thomas was thrown out trying to advance to third base and Owen got the final out of the inning to keep it a 6-4 game.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the fifth inning as Megan Wiggins led off with a triple and scored two batters later on a ground out by Kristyn Sandberg. The Yellow Jackets came right back to re-take the two run lead in the bottom half of the fifth on a RBI single by Jordan. Tech had runners at first and third with just one out and a chance to go back up more but Owen was able to get out of the jam on an infield pop up and a bang-bang play at first base on a grounder by Jones.
The Bulldogs came back with five runs in the sixth inning to take their first lead of the game at 10-7. The big blow in the inning was a two-out grand slam off the bat of Ashley Razey.
In the seventh inning, Jordan hit a home run with two outs making it a 10-8 game but senior pinch hitter Jessica Weaver popped up representing the tying run and that’s how the game ended.
Senior Kristen Adkins (16-5) took the loss as she allowed six earned runs on six hits and two walks in three innings of relief work. Freshman Lindsey Anderson started for the Yellow Jackets and left with the lead. She was charged with four earned runs on three hits and five walks in four innings of work.
The Yellow Jackets remain at home and will host North Carolina this weekend at Mewborn Field. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday and then a single game Sunday, both at 1 p.m. Live video, audio and stats for all three games is available at RamblinWreck.com.
Follow Georgia Tech Softball all season at www.Twitter.com/GaTechSoftball and on Facebook.
