May 8, 2008
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Lindsay Campana had a no-hitter for 5.2 innings and settled for a one-hit shutout helping fifth-seeded NC State (30-26) to a 1-0 win over No. 4 Georgia Tech (30-29) in today’s opening round of the ACC Softball Championship at the University of Maryland. Junior Blair Shimandle doubled with two outs in the sixth inning, but that was the farthest a Yellow Jacket reached on the base paths, Tech had just three base runners all day against Campana as freshman Amanda Crow was hit by a pitch in the third inning and walked in the sixth.
Senior Whitney Humphreys (18-15) was the hard-luck loser as she allowed just one run in the first inning and scattered four hits in the game. Tech will now play No. 8-seed Virginia (15-38) in an elimination game Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. The Cavaliers lost to top-seeded North Carolina 6-0 earlier today behind a perfect game by ACC Player of the Year Danielle Spaulding.
NC State got on the board first as it scratched across a run in the top of the first inning against Humphreys. Shana Smith led off the game with a single up the middle, was sacrificed to second base and then scored on a triple by Alyssa Allbritten. The Wolfpack still had Allbritten at third and one out, but Humphreys got a foul out to first base and strikeout to keep the damage minimal.
It was still 1-0 in the top of the fourth when a hit batsman and an error gave the Wolfpack two on with one out and a chance to add some insurance. Humphreys, however, continued her impressive pitching in the last two months as she thwarted the rally by getting a lazy fly ball too left field and a soft liner to second base.
The Jackets offense though was stymied the first time though the order by NC State pitcher Lindsay Campana. The only Tech base runner through the first four innings came in the third when freshman Amanda Crow was hit by a Campana offering, but freshman pinch runner Amelia Beach was stranded at first.
Crow then worked a walk in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Jackets’ second base runner of the game, but was stranded their as they were still hitless through five innings.
The Wolfpack threatened again in the top of the sixth as they had runners at first and second with nobody out, but Humphreys was able to escape trouble. The big play in the inning came when senior catcher Savannah Brown gunned down Ashleigh Davis attempting to steal third base.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, junior Blair Shimandle doubled off the base of the wall in left field giving the Jackets their first hit of the game. Brown then nearly put Tech ahead 2-1 as she hit a deep ball out towards left-centerfield, but NC State centerfielder Blair Harckey was able to make the catch on the track as Brown hit it just a little too far towards the end of the bat.
It was a quick one-pitch inning for Humphreys in the top of the seventh so the Georgia Tech offense came up for their last cracks at Campana and the heart of the order up. Junior Whitney Haller led off with a sharp come-backer that Campana made a great play on for the inning’s first out. After a pop up to second base by senior Brittany Barnes, Weaver struck out to end the game.
Georgia Tech will now play Virginia in an elimination game at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. The first three days of the tournament can be seen on ACC Select (http://acc.playonsports.tv/gatech) and then Sunday’s championship game will be televised live on the Regional Sports Networks, including FSN South in Atlanta. Live stats for every game of the championship can be found on www.ramblinwreck.com.
