March 19, 2014
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Georgia Tech softball team lost a pair of games against NC State, 5-4 and 10-3, at Dail Stadium Wednesday night. The Jackets fell to 18-8 overall and 7-6 in ACC play, while the Wolfpack improved to 17-9 on the season and 8-3 in league action.
“We left 10 runners on base in both games,” head coach Shelly Hoerner said. “We have to bring our A game every single day. NC State is a great team. We just have to be better with pressure on us. We didn’t make it happen today and that’s unfortunate. We have a lot of work to do.”
Ashley Thomas went 4-for-8 with two runs and a double to lead Georgia Tech, while Katie Johnsky was 3-for-6 with a home run.
Game 1: NC State 5, Georgia Tech 4
Jackets out-hit the Wolfpack in the first game 9-5, but stranded 10 runners on base to NC State’s five. The Yellow Jackets rallied to come back and tie the score three times in game one, but couldn’t hold on as the Wolfpack won, 5-4.
It took two innings for the Georgia Tech defense to settle in as a throwing error in the first frame allowed NC State to strike first.
The Jackets countered in the top of the second as Karly Fullem reached on a Wolfpack error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt courtesy of Morgan Taylor. A single by Katie Johnsky sent Fullem to third and she scored on Maddie Lionberger’s two-out single through the right side.
The Wolfpack regained the lead in the bottom of the second inning, 2-1, and the Jackets went to work in the fifth to tie the game 2-2 as a ground out by Fullem scored Ashley Thomas. NC State wasted no time and took the lead 4-2 on a two-run home run from Renada Davis in the bottom of the same frame.
Katie Johnsky took a 3-2 Emily Weiman offering over the right center wall for her first home run of the year, putting the Yellow Jackets within one run, 4-3, to lead off the sixth inning. Lionberger notched her second hit of the game, moved to second on an Ashley Thomas ground out and scored on a single roped up the middle from Hayley Downs to tie the ball game, 4-4.
With runners on corners, one out and the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth, NC State’s Chelsea Tate slid under the tag at home on a grounder from Sara Lippard to give her team the 5-4 lead.
Kylie Kleinschmidt (11-4) suffered the loss, striking out eight batters and allowing five runs on five hits in 6.0 innings pitched. Weiman (14-8) earned the win after sacrificing four runs on nine hits with four walks.
Game 2: NC State 10, Georgia Tech 3
Ashley Thomas kicked things off with a single to left and moved to second on a textbook sacrifice bunt from Hayley Downs. She scored on an NC State throwing error on a chopper off the bat of Kanani Cabrales.
Fullem and Johnsky hit back-to-back singles, which load the bases with two outs for freshman Colleen Darragh, who stepped up and ripped an RBI-single through the left side to plate Cabrales and give Tech a 2-0 lead.
NC State put up two runs in the bottom of the second to knot the game, 2-2, on an RBI double and a botched rundown.
In the fourth inning, the Jackets had the bases loaded and two outs with Ashley Thomas up to bat. The 2013 ACC Player of the Year faced the 2013 Pitcher of the Year, Emily Weiman and singled up the middle to score pinch runner Alexis Jones and break the tie, 3-2.
NC State peaked late in the game and tallied three runs the fifth and five runs in the sixth inning to take the lead, 10-3.
Cabrales (7-4) suffered the loss, giving up eight runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings pitched. Weiman (15-8) picked up her second win of the day and limited Georgia Tech to three runs on 10 hits in 5.0 innings of work.
