Feb. 21, 2016
THE FLATS – The Georgia Tech softball team (0-5) and the Purdue Boilermakers (6-3) took a 3-3 tie to the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Boilermakers were able to push the winning run across the plate to win the final game, 4-3, of the inaugural ACC/Big Ten Softball Challenge on Sunday afternoon.
How It Happened
The Boilermakers got on the board first as the home team of the game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. The Yellow Jackets got one run back in the top of the second as Morgan Taylor singles and Maddie Lionberger walked to reach base. Freshman Kaylee Ellebracht hit a double to score Taylor and put the Jackets on the board.
Purdue went ahead by two, 3-1, in the bottom of the fourth. The Yellow Jackets kept fighting and tied the game on two home runs.
Samantha Pierannunzi pulled Georgia Tech within one on a leadoff home run to left in the top of the sixth, marking her first long ball of the year. Courtney Ziese followed suit with a shot over the centerfield wall in the top of the seventh to tie the game at three.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Boilermakers managed to push the winning run across the plate and narrowly escaped with a 4-3 win.
Emily Anderson (0-3) suffered the loss pitching 6.2 innings with four runs, three of them earned. Purdue’s Lilly Fecho (5-1) earned the win, allowing three earned runs on four hits in a complete game effort.
Quote
“Our team has to find a way to start games better and finish the game,” head coach Shelly Hoerner said. “I feel we play well during the middle of the game, but we’ve got to start better.”
Quick hits
– Kaylee Ellebracht hit her second double in as many days
– Samantha Pierannunzi and Courtney Ziese hit their first home runs of the year
What’s Next
The Jackets host St. John’s on Tuesday, Feb. 23 for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GaTechSoftball), Instagram (@GaTechSoftball), Facebook (Georgia Tech Softball) or by visiting www.ramblinwreck.com.
