March 10, 2009
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Updated Stats
ATLANTA – Sophomore Kristen Adkins went 4-for-5 with five RBI on the day and was the winning pitcher in game two as the Georgia Tech softball team (15-6) swept Tennessee Martin (15-7), 2-1 and 7-5, in the grand opening of Shirley Clements Mewborn Field Tuesday afternoon.
Adkins hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning of game one, her first career long ball and RBI in a Tech uniform, as the Jackets came from behind to give head coach Sharon Perkins her 100th career victory. Adkins was also he winning pitcher in game two allowing just one run on one hit in five innings of work. Freshman Kelsi Weseman had a double, triple and three RBI for the Jackets, while freshman Shannon Bear hit her second career home run in just four at bats.
Game one was a pitcher’s duel between Tech senior Tiffany Johnson and Tennessee Martin’s Kara Harper. The first batter in the history of Mewborn field went down in the books as a strikeout when Johnson blew a 3-2 pitch by Jenny Bain.
Bain later got herself in the record books again when she led off the fourth inning with a solo home run. It was the first hit, run and home run in the history of Mewborn Field. The first Yellow Jacket hit belonged to Jen Yee when she singled to right field with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Yellow Jackets broke through against Harper in the bottom of the fifth inning courtesy of the long ball. Tech had just one base runner through the first 4.2 innings on the Yee single, but after Kate Kuzma lined a single up the middle with two outs, Kristen Adkins went deep for the first time in her career giving the Jackets a 2-1 lead. It was a line drive home run for Adkins to left field and just like that, the Jackets had a 2-1 lead.
In the seventh inning, Johnson gave up a two-out single to Savannah Roberts, but was able to get Erin Driskell on a fly ball out to Christy Jones in left field ending the game and giving Perkins her 100th career win.
Johnson improved to 7-1 on the season as she allowed just the one run on three hits. She walked two and struck out four. Harper took the tough loss for the Skyhawks as she gave up two runs on four hits. She struck out four and did not walk a batter.
In game two, the Yellow Jackets got to UT Martin pitcher Chelsea Jones for three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Johnson got it going with a leadoff single and went to third base when Whitney Haller singled to right-center field. A RBI double to the gap in left-center by Weseman gave Tech a 1-0 lead and then with two on and one out, Adkins continued her break-out offensive day with a two-run single up the middle.
Tech added to its lead with three more runs in the third inning. Jones led off the inning with an infield single, but was quickly erased trying to steal second base. Yee followed with a single and two batters later, Haller singled giving the Jackets two on with two outs and then a two-run triples off the bat of Weseman gave the Jackets a 5-0 lead. It went to 6-0 when Adkins recorded a RBI single.
Tennessee Martin began fighting back in the top of the fourth inning against Tech game two starter Kristen Adkins. She allowed a one-out walk and then with a runner at second and two outs, a RBI single by Megan Van Arsdale break up the no-hitter and shutout for Adkins.
The score remained 6-1 until the bottom of the sixth inning when Georgia Tech freshman pinch hitter Shannon Bear hit a solo home run, her second round-tripper in just four career at bats.
With freshman Jessica Coan pitching, UTM got a little closer with four runs in the top of the seventh inning. Van Arsdale led off the frame with a solo home run and then Bain hit a three-run home run later in the inning. Coan ended the game with a strikeout completing a successful opening day for the Yellow Jackets.
Adkins improved to 6-3 with the win as she gave up just the one run on one hit. She walked one and struck out three. Jones (6-3) took the loss as she gave up six runs on nine hits in just 2.2 innings.
The Yellow Jackets will continue their nine-game, opening homestand at Mewborn Field on Saturday when Kennesaw State visits for a 2 p.m. single game. The Yellow Jackets will now also host Georgia State in a doubleheader Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. This series was just added to make up some of last month’s rain-outs.
Free live audio and stats of all Georgia Tech games this season will be available at www.ramblinwreck.com.
