March 31, 2007
ATLANTA – Junior Whitney Humphreys (13-4) picked up the win in relief, throwing the final 5.0 innings, allowing just two hits, one run and struck out two, and junior Savannah Brown went 2-for-3 and drove in the game-winning run to lead No. 24 Georgia Tech (32-11, 4-4 ACC) to a split with No. 23 North Carolina (35-9, 7-1 ACC), 2-4 (12) and 5-4, on Saturday at Glenn Field.
The win snaps UNC’s 28-game winning streak. Game one was the longest game in Tech history, surpassing two 11-inning games the Jackets played in 1989 and ’90.
Senior Kristina Hull and sophomore Whitney Haller each smacked two-run home runs, their fifth and 10th, respectively, both finishing 1-for-3 at the plate. Junior Aileen Morales went 2-for-4 in the nightcap to pace the Jackets offensively.
In game one, Brittany Barnes hit her first home run in 25 games (Feb. 28), her league-leading 11th dinger of the season. Brown and sophomore Blair Shimandle each added two hits for the Yellow Jackets.
Sophomore Tiffany Johnson (13-5) was the tough-luck loser in the circle in the opener, working a career-high 13.0 innings, scattering 11 hits and gave up four runs, while striking out six.
In game one, the Yellow Jackets took a lead in the bottom of the second inning as Shimandle singled to center field to plate Brown who reached on single and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt as Tech led 1-0.
Tech’s Barnes gave the Jackets a two-run lead with her 11th home run of the season with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
UNC tied the game in the top of the seventh inning as Cassie Palmer hit a two-run home run to left field with one out to send the game to the bottom of the seventh inning at 2-2.
The Tar Heels’ Palmer struck again in the top of the 13th inning with a two-out double to left center field as Tech went down for the first time in the game, 3-2. UNC added another run on a single up the middle by Breanna Brown as the lead was moved to two, 4-2.
Tech scored two runs, on nine hits and had no errors, while UNC scored four runs, on 11 hits and had no errors.
In game two, the Tar Heels used the long ball again to take an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Casey Testa struck a 3-1 pitch over the left field fence as Tech trailed 2-0.
The Jackets responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning, courtesy of two-run home runs by Haller and Hull as Tech grabbed the lead 4-2.
UNC scratched an unearned run across in the top of the second inning after an error, walk and a hit, Erin Dudley scored on a wild pitch to cut the Jackets’ lead to one, 4-3.
Tech responded with a run in the bottom of the second inning as Brown singled to shortstop after a bad hope allowed the Jackets to take a 5-3 lead after two innings of play.
The Tar Heels tacked on another run in the top of the fourth inning courtesy of a Tech throwing error to first base on a bunt single to third base that allowed a runner to score from second base as the lead was cut to one, 5-4.
Tech scored five runs, on eight hits and committed two errors, while Carolina scored four runs, on four hits and had one error.
The Yellow Jackets and Tar Heels will conclude the three-game ACC series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game can be followed on www.ramblinwreck.com.
-30-
