May 9, 2002
ATLANTA – After earning the No. 2 seed for just the second time in school history, the Georgia Tech softball team (46-16, 6-2 ACC) opens the 2002 ACC Softball Championship with a first-round meeting against third-seeded Maryland Friday at 5 p.m. at the Seminole Softball Complex in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Jackets have had great success against the Terps this season, winning all four of the team’s meetings, including a doubleheader sweep in Atlanta in conference play. Tech took game one, 3-0, and won the second, 4-0, as junior catcher Lindsay Wood roped two-run homers in both contests.
Tech has lost five consecutive tournament games and is after its first win since defeating North Carolina in 1999. The Jackets’ best showing in the event came in 1995 when they reached the tournament finals in the only other year they were seeded second.
Sophomore shortstop Tara Knudsen leads the Jacket attack with a .394 average, a conference record-tying 16 homers and 50 runs batted in. Wood has six homers and 22 RBI, as well as a conference record 23 doubles, while center fielder Sara Wissmann has three homers and 29 RBI.
The Tech pitching staff is also in good hands as sophomore Erin Voeltz (17-7) and freshman Jessica Sallinger (22-7) have combined to post a 39-14 record. Sallinger set Tech marks for wins (22) and strikeouts (258) in a stellar rookie campaign, which included nine shutouts and two no-hitters. Voeltz has tossed two shutouts, including two in conference play.
The Jackets have also been stellar defensively, as the team owns a .972 fielding percentage, which leads the ACC and stands sixth nationally.
The championship is a double-elimination event, which concludes with the title game on Sunday, which will be televised in the Atlanta area on Fox Sports Net South at 4:30 p.m. With a strong showing this weekend, Tech could put itself in solid position for its first-ever NCAA Championship berth. Bids will be announced at 9 p.m. Sunday.
-GT-
