March 7, 2004
TUCSON, Ariz. – Junior Jessica Sallinger (11-3) and freshman Sarah Wood combined for a no-hitter as No. 24 Georgia Tech (19-5) downed Indiana (7-11), 7-0, in its final game of the Hillenbrand Invitational at Hillenbrand Stadium this morning. The Yellow Jackets batted around in the first inning, scoring six runs as Tech finished the tournament with a 3-1 record. Sallinger threw five innings, walked one and struck out 10.
Senior center fielder Soraya Reddick got the Jackets started in the first inning with a single to left field. Sophomore right fielder Amy Hosier was hit-by-a-pitch to give Tech runners at first and second with no outs. Senior shortstop Tara Knudsen kept the rally going with a base hit to center field to load the bases. Junior second baseman Katie Donovan drew a walk to bring in the first run of the inning for the Rambling Wreck. Indiana made a pitching change after the bases loaded walk as Megan Roark entered the circle.
Senior catcher Tasha Waugh hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the second run of the first inning. Junior designated hitter Liz Bartle drove in two more runs for the Jackets with a base hit to right field as Tech increased its lead to 4-0. Sophomore third baseman Lauren Schlechte continued the inning for the Yellow Jackets with a double to the right-center gap to place runners at second and third with one out. Freshman Kristina Hull drove in another run with a base hit to left field and junior left fielder Kirin Kumar grounded out to third base to collect another run for Tech as the lead moved to 6-0. Reddick tallied the final out of the inning with a long drive to the warning track as the IU right fielder tracked it down.
Knudsen hammered a line drive to center field to tally her second hit of the game in the second inning. Donovan followed with a base hit up the middle as Tech put runners at second and third with one out. After a pop out to the catcher, Bartle hit a ball in the hole between short and third as the Hoosiers’ shortstop made a nice back hand play and threw Bartle out at first to end the second.
IU brought in its third pitcher of the ballgame in the third inning as Heather Stillians appeared on the mound for the Hoosiers. Schlechte welcomed the new pitcher with a base hit to center field to leadoff the third. The Hoosiers picked up two outs on a strikeout/throw out at second base as Schlechte was caught stealing. Stillians struck out the final Tech batter in the third as the game headed to the fourth inning with Tech leading by six.
With two outs in the fourth inning, Donovan doubled to right center field to plate Hosier who walked as the Jackets pushed their lead to 7-0.
Sallinger walked the leadoff batter in the sixth inning to negate the perfect game and the Yellow Jackets put freshman Sarah Wood in to pitch with the no-hitter still in tacked. Wood retired the next six batters, striking out one to end the game with Tech’s first combined no-hitter in school history.
Knudsen, Schlechte and Donvan led Tech offensively. Knudsen went 2-for-4, Schlechte ended the game 2-for-2 with a walk and Donovan finished 2-for-3, with a walk, a double and two RBIs.
Tech scored seven runs, on 11 hits and had no errors, while Indiana had no runs, no hits and no errors.
Georgia Tech will return to Atlanta for a non-conference doubleheader against St. Joseph’s on Thursday, March 11 at Glenn Field. The match-up is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. and can be followed on GameTracker at www.ramblinwreck.com.
