April 5, 2003
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Sophomore Jessica Sallinger fired a four-hit shutout, her seventh of the year, to lead the Georgia Tech softball team (27-16, 1-1 ACC) to a 2-0 victory over Virginia (26-17, 1-1 ACC) in the second game of the Jackets’ conference-opening doubleheader Saturday at The Park. The Cavaliers won the first game, 6-1.
Sallinger (15-10) went seven innings for her 20th complete game of the season. She allowed the four hits and just one walk, while fanning nine. Sallinger leads the ACC with 230 strikeouts this season.
Pitching dominated game two as Sallinger and Virginia’s Erin Horn limited each team to just three hits apiece through five innings, but the Jackets picked up the game’s first run in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded, left fielder Tara Neff grounded to short and Virginia catcher Jenn Wynn dropped the throw home, allowing pinch runner Kirin Kumar to score and give Tech a 1-0 advantage. Third baseman Lauren Schlechte and second baseman Felicia Coursey both had singles in the inning to start the rally.
Catcher Tasha Waugh pushed the Jacket lead to 2-0 in the sixth, when a two-out single to left scored center fielder Sara Wissmann from second.
Sophomore first baseman Katie Donovan went 2-for-4 in game two to pace Tech at the plate. With the game two victory, Tech snaps a three-game losing streak to the Cavaliers.
Horn (12-8) went seven innings for Virginia, allowing two runs on five hits and five walks. She also fanned seven Yellow Jackets.
After making two errors in the top of the first of game one, Virginia shortstop Heather Field atoned for the miscues in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff homer. The shot to dead center gave the Wahoos a 1-0 lead. Virginia loaded the bases in the second, but Tech’s Erin Voeltz, who entered after starter Tiffany Goodman surrendered a leadoff single to first baseman Hannah Owings, worked out the jam. Goodman tossed one inning and allowed one run on two hits before reentering to start the fifth. On the day, Goodman (2-2) went three innings and allowed one run on three hits. Voeltz also worked three innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits and five walks.
After threatening to break the game open in the second, Virginia tallied three runs on two hits and two walks off Voeltz in the third. Wynn and pitcher Christina Grimm both had RBI doubles in the frame. The Cavaliers increased the lead to 6-0 in the fourth on run-scoring hits from both Wynn and Owings.
Tech shortstop Tara Knudsen got the Jackets on the board with a run-scoring double to left in the sixth. Coursey got the inning started with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice by Neff before coming home on Knudsen’s hit. Knudsen, who went hitless in game two, has now hit safely in 11 of her last 13 games.
Grimm (9-4) earned the win for Virginia after allowing just one run and four hits over seven innings. She struck out six and walked just one. Wynn and Owings each had two hits in game one to pace the Cavaliers. Wynn also drove in a pair of runs.
Tech continues its conference-opening weekend Sunday when the Jackets travel to Maryland for a Noon doubleheader.
