April 5, 2014
Box Score | GT Photo Gallery (Game 1) | GT Photo Gallery (Game 2)
THE FLATS – The Georgia Tech softball team (19-14, 8-10 ACC) fell in back-to-back games against Virginia Tech (21-16, 10-6) on Saturday afternoon at Mewborn Field. The Yellow Jackets fell 7-0 in game one and 5-2 in game two. The Yellow Jackets return for the series finale at 12 p.m. Sunday on Alumni Day.
“We were prepared for the Virginia Tech pitchers, we just didn’t execute our plan,” head coach Shelly Hoerner said. “We’re letting too many base runners get on. We’re trying to curtail that, but we need to figure it out. In the first game we gave them 20 base runners and it’s unacceptable.”
Chelsie Thomas and Hayley Downs tallied two hits each, while freshman Samantha Pierannunzi recorded two hits, a double and her first collegiate home run.
Game 1: Virginia Tech 7, Georgia Tech 0
Virginia Tech broke the 0-0 tie with a run in the bottom of the third inning and the Hokies scored six runs across the next three innings.
Downs went 2-for-3 for Tech, while Katie Johnsky and Pierannunzi each recorded a hit.
Virginia Tech’s Kelly Heinz (11-11) picked up the victory, holding the Jackets to four hits with six strikeouts.
Georgia Tech starter Kylie Kleinschmidt (12-8) suffered the loss, pitching 4.1 innings with five runs on seven hits and three strikeouts. Ashley Clifton relieved Kleinschmidt in the fifth inning and pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits.
Game 2: Virginia Tech 5, Georgia Tech 2
The Hokies stayed hot, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and extending that to 3-0 with a run in the second.
The Yellow Jackets countered in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Pierannunzi stepped to the plate and rocked a Maggie Tyler offering over the wall in right center for the first home run of her career.
Chelsie Thomas followed with a single that fell just fair in shallow left field. Maddie Lionberger roped her fifth double of the season to score Chelsie Thomas and cut Virginia Tech’s lead to one run, 3-2.
Virginia Tech pulled away with runs in the fifth and seventh innings to claim the 5-2 victory.
Tyler (10-5) earned the win, scattering six hits and allowing two runs in a complete-game effort.
Kanani Cabrales (7-6) suffered the loss, pitching all seven innings with five runs on seven hits.
