May 19, 2002
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite a season-high 15 hits, Georgia Tech (52-17) had to put its Women’s College World Series plans on hold, as Florida State posted a 3-2, nine-inning victory at the Seminole Softball Complex. The two teams, who each have one Regional loss, will play again at 8:15 p.m. Sunday to punch the final of the eight tickets to Oklahoma City.
Florida State took a one-run lead in the top of the ninth on a double to right field by Monique Marier. The hit scored Jessica van der Linden from second.
Jackets’ right fielder Soraya Reddick doubled in the bottom of the inning but was stranded at second to end the game. She was Tech’s 16th runner left on base and 11th stranded in scoring position.
Tech starter Jessica Sallinger was again solid, as she went nine innings, allowing just five hits and two earned runs. She struck out 10 but falls to 28-8 with her first loss since an April 18 defeat at Mississippi State.
Having stranded nine runners through the game’s first six innings, Tech finally broke through in the bottom of the seventh, as a Sara Wissmann sacrifice fly to deep right field scored pinch runner Kirin Kumar and tied the game at two. Earlier in the inning, first baseman Katie Donovan, who reached on her third single of the game, came home on a single by catcher Lindsay Wood.
In the eighth, second baseman Felicia Coursey started a rally with a single to short, her second consecutive hit. She advanced to second on first baseman Donovan’s fourth hit of the afternoon, and catcher Lindsay Wood loaded the bases on a dribbler down the third base line. Florida State starter Leslie Malerich got third baseman Jamie Frost to ground to first to end the inning.
The Seminoles opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first. Shundra Colzie led off the game with a walk, moved up to third and came home on a double to left field by Brandi Stuart. The run was just the second allowed in the Regional by Sallinger and the first scored by the Seminoles against Tech in 16 innings.
Tech had a chance to even the score in the bottom of the inning, as it loaded the bases on singles by Donovan and third baseman Jamie Frost and a walk to Wood. However, FSU starter Leslie Malerich struck out the side to get out of the inning.
FSU manufactured a second run in the top of the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. Stuart led off the frame with a walk and took third on a sacrifice bunt by Elisa Velasco. Stuart then broke for home as left fielder Monique Marier grounded out to Sallinger. The throw home by Tech first baseman Katie Donovan was high, allowing Stuart to score.
The Seminole defense thwarted a Tech rally in the bottom of the fifth, as the Jackets had two on thanks to back-to-back singles by Donovan and shortstop Tara Knudsen. Wood ripped a liner to third, which was caught by Robyn Larson, who doubled Donovan off second to end the frame.
Singles by Frost and right fielder Soraya Reddick put two on again in the sixth, but the Jackets were unable to capitalize.
Donovan went 4-for-5 to lead Tech at the plate, as six Jackets had multi-hit games. Reddick had three hits, while Coursey, Knudsen, Wood and Frost each added two.
Tech made two errors in the game, snapping a streak of nine consecutive games without a miscue.
With the win, the Seminoles snap a two-game losing streak to Tech and take a 3-2 lead in the season series. The loss was the Jackets first to a top-25 team in its last five outings.
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