ATLANTA (Feb. 23) — Senior catcher Anne Knobbe lined a bases-loaded single to center field to plate two runs and send Georgia Tech to a 7-1 victory in game two of its home-opening softball doubleheader Wednesday against Furman at Glenn Field. Furman captured the first contest, 6-0.
Tech (8-3) trailed in the contest after designated hitter Kelli Leachman hit her second home run of the day to stake Furman to a 1-0 lead. The Jackets rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning for three runs as centerfielder Lauren Schwartz drove in a run on an infield single to tie the game. One out later, Knobbe whistled a line drive to center to give Tech the lead for good. In the bottom of the sixth inning, designated player Lacey Schanz hit a two-run home run to help the Jackets pull away and Tech plated two more runs on a wild pitch and Furman error.
Freshman pitcher Tiffany Goodman won her fourth consecutive game as she scattered four hits, with just three over the last six innings to improve her record to 4-1. Schanz went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI and left fielder Heather Sumrow was 2-for-2 with two runs scored to pace the Tech attack, while Schwartz was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
In the first contest, Furman pitcher Kelly Jack yielded just five hits in shutting out Tech, 6-0. After grabbing a 2-0 lead, Leachman struck the big blow in the top of the fifth inning as she hit her first collegiate home run to give Furman a 4-0 lead. Tech didn’t help itself by stranding nine base runners in the contest, including six of them the fourth through sixth innings. Senior Jamie Smith suffered the loss for Tech and fell to 4-2 on the season.
The Jackets will be in action Friday-Sunday at the Bama Bash Tournament in Tusculoosa, Ala., which will include Drake, No. 3 Arizona, No. 15 Depaul and No. 20 Alabama.
