Feb. 29, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Notre Dame’s Meagan Ruthrauff hit the game-winning home run for the Fighting Irish in the fifth inning as Georgia Tech (15-3) fell to the Irish (10-4), 2-1, in the championship game of the Silver bracket at the Leadoff Classic. Junior Pitcher Jessica Sallinger (8-2) pitched six innings, scattering five hits, two earned runs and struck out 10. ND’s Steffany Stenglein (3-3) held the Jackets to one run, on five hits and struck out eight.
Senior outfielder Soraya Reddick got the first inning started for Tech with a leadoff walk. Junior second baseman Katie Donovan also walked for the Jackets and both advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Stenglein tallied the next two outs for the Fighting Irsish with strikeouts. Sophomore catcher Lauren Schlechte singled through the right side to drive in the game’s first run. Stenglein struck out her third batter of the inning to end the first.
The Irish tied the score in the top of the third inning as Nicole Wicks led off the inning with her second home run of the tournament. Stephaine Brown followed with a single and advanced to third on consecutive passed balls. The next Irish hitter walked to put runners at the corners with no outs. The Yellow Jackets tallied their first out of the inning on a 2-6-2 caught stealing at the plate as Notre Dame had a runner on second with one out. Sallinger struck out the next batter and induced a ground out to second base after an infield single as the game was tied, 1-1.
Ruthrauff broke through for the Fighting Irish with a home run to left field to give the Irish a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Tech’s Amy Hosier sent a ball to the fence for a double. Senior outfielder Sara Wissmann then singled to left field and Hosier was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw from the Irish’s left fielder as Tech trailed after six innings, 2-1.
Senior pitcher Erin Voeltz entered the game for the Yellow Jackets in the seventh inning, throwing a scoreless inning to give Tech a chance to tie or win it in the bottom half of the seventh inning.
With one out, junior third baseman Kirin Kumar singled to right field to give the Jackets a base runner at first. Reddick then followed with a line shot right at the second baseman as the Irish tallied a double play to end the game, 2-1.
Georgia Tech will host Georgia Southern on Wednesday, March 3, for a 1 p.m., non-conference doubleheader at Glenn Field.
