March 19, 2011
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Senior Kristine Priebe had a two-run single which proved to the game-winner as the Georgia Tech softball team (22-5) came from behind to beat Lipscomb (10-11) 4-3 in the second game of day two of the Chanticleer Challenge. Earlier in the day, the Yellow Jackets lost to Kansas, 3-2 in eight innings, after tying the game with two runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Maggie Hull led off the top of the eighth inning with a solo home run and that proved top be the winner as Kansas went on to the 3-2 win snapping Georgia Tech’s 14-game winning streak. The Yellow Jackets trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning and came back to tie the game. Tech still had the bases loaded and no outs with the winning run at third base, but Kansas relief pitcher Allie Clark was able to get out of the jam. Sophomore Hope Rush (8-3) took the loss as she pitched the final 2.2 innings. She allowed the one run on three hits while walking one and striking out one. Senior Kristen Adkins started and did not get a decision. She gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk in 5.1 innings. Adkins fanned three as she saw her scoreless innings pitched streak end at 31.2 innings.
Lipscomb led the second game 2-0 before Tech scored four runs and hung on for a 4-3 win. Junior Shannon Bear had a home run and two RBI while Priebe had the two-run hit which proved to be the difference. Rush (9-3) got the win as she allowed two runs on three hits in five innings. She struck out six batters and did not walk one. Adkins picked up her fourth save of the year as she allowed a run over the final two frames.
Game one of the day against Kansas started off as a pitcher’s dual between senior Kristin Adkins and Kristin Martinez. Tech had scoring chances early against Martinez but it was Kansas who broke through for the game’s first run. With one out in the fourth inning, Liz Kocon served an Adkins offering just over the fence in left-center field for a solo home run making it 1-0 Kansas. It was the first run allowed by Adkins in her last 31.2 innings pitched.
Rosie Hull had a RBI single in the top of the fifth inning as Kansas made Tech pay for an earlier error to take a 2-0 lead. The Jayhawks had the bases loaded a few batters later but Adkins got Kocon to pop up and end the inning.
After a one-out double in the top of the sixth inning, sophomore Hope Rush came into the game in relief of Adkins. Rush then proceeded to work out of a second and third with one out jam to keep it a 2-0 game.
The Yellow Jackets came back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning but squandered a major chance to win. Three straight singles by junior Jessica Sinclair, freshman Ashley Thomas and senior Christy Jones loaded the bases with nobody out. Allie Clark came into the game in relief of Martinez and promptly walked junior Kate Kuzma making it a 2-1 game. Junior Shannon Bear then blooped a RBI single down the right-field line to tie the score at two.
With the bases loaded and no outs, the Yellow Jackets were unable to get the winning run home as Clark got sophomore Hope Rush, senior Kristine Priebe and freshman Alysha Rudnik out to retire the side. Those three in the 4-5-6 spots in the order went 0-for-12 in the game.
Kansas’ Maggie Hull then led off the eighth inning with a home run and Clark retired Tech in order in the bottom of the frame to close out the win.
Game two was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Lipscomb’s Breanna Thurman hit a two-run home run over the fence in left field of Rush.
Bear led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run to cut into the Yellow Jacket’s deficit. Her seventh round-tripper of the year off Lipscomb All-American pitcher Whitney Kiihnl made it a 2-1 game.
After Rush retired the Lady Bison in order in the bottom of the fourth, the Yellow Jackets scored three times in the top of the fifth to take their first lead of the day. With runners at first and second and two outs, Bear doubled to the gap in right-center field plating the tying run. After a walk to Weseman loaded the bases, Priebe hit a two-run single to left-center field putting Tech up 4-2.
Adkins came into the game for the bottom of the sixth inning and gave up a RBI single to Mollie Mitchell making it a 4-3 game but was able to get out of the inning without any further damage.
In the bottom of the seventh, Lipscomb had runners at the corners with one out when Bridgitte Begle hit a ground ball to Weseman at shortstop. She threw home to get the lead runner and Adkins struck out Thurman for the final out of the inning to save the game.
The Chanticleer Challenge concludes tomorrow when the Yellow Jackets take on Providence at 10 a.m. The spring break trip concludes on Tuesday, March 22 with a doubleheader at Winthrop.
Live audio and stats for every Georgia Tech Softball game is available at www.RamblinWreck.com. Follow Georgia Tech Softball all season at www.Twitter.com/GaTechSoftball and on Facebook.
