THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (8-7) enjoyed a pair of dominant performances on Saturday, defeating Robert Morris, 9-1, in six innings before taking down North Carolina-Greensboro, 6-2, at Mewborn Field. The Jackets launched six home runs across both games, utilizing strong pitching performances from three different pitchers, including Senior Blake Neleman’s first complete game of the season, to extend their winning streak to five games.
QUICK HITS: THE TEAM
- Georgia Tech has now hit 32 home runs through 15 games this season, the most in Division I and the most by any Tech team through the first 15 games in 14 seasons (33 in 2010).
- The Yellow Jackets hit six home runs today led by two from Mallorie Black and one each from Tiffany Domingue, Madison Dobbins, Sara Beth Allen and Ella Edgmon.
- Tech has hit 31 home runs over its last 11 games, the most in any 11-game stretch in program history.
- The Jacket bats have hit multiple home runs in 11 consecutive games for the first time in program history, shattering the previous record (8), set back in 2011.
- Tech has won five games in a row, its longest winning streak of the season and one shy of matching its season-best from a year ago.
- The Jackets have won seven straight at home dating back to Feb. 11.
QUICK HITS: THE BATS
- Black delivered both of her home runs in the opening game of the day against Robert Morris, the second multi-HR game of her career. She becomes the third Yellow Jacket to hit multiple homers in the same game this season, joining Reese Hunter and Madison Dobbins (twice).
- Black has now hit six home runs this season, just one away from her career high (7), set last season over the course of 53 games.
- Dobbins recorded her home run in walk-off fashion, launching a solo shot in the sixth inning vs. Robert Morris to end the game, via run-rule. It was her sixth of the year as well, after hitting just three in her first two years on The Flats.
- Edgmon got the ball rolling with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning against UNCG. It was her fourth as a Jacket and second of the year, marking her first multi-home run season in college and her first-career leadoff home run.
- Allen launched her fifth HR of the season against UNCG, giving Tech the lead for good, 4-2. Allen has hit three home runs this weekend to bring her career total to 19.
- Domingue showed off her strength with an opposite field home run in the fifth inning, her third as a Jacket and second in as many days.
QUICK HITS: THE ARMS
- Neleman put up a dominant performance against UNCG, registering her 39th complete game victory with 7.0 innings pitched and tying her season high with eight strikeouts, collecting the final out herself on a lazy pop up a few steps outside of the circle.
- It was her 49th career victory, putting her just three away from tying Kristen Adkins for the 5th most in program history.
- Neleman now owns 591 strikeouts to her name as she seeks to become just the second Jacket in program history to reach 600 career punch outs.
- Kinsey Norton got the start in the opening game against Robert Morris, earning her second-career victory with 4.0 innings pitched, allowing just five base runners while striking out three and forcing nine groundouts.
- Chandler Dennis continued her domination this weekend, pitching the final 2.0 innings against Robert Morris without allowing a hit and striking out three.
- Dennis has now pitched 6.0 innings this weekend, allowing just one hit and three walks, while striking out seven. Opponents are hitting just .050 against the righty over that stretch.
- Through four games this weekend, the Tech pitching staff has put up a 1.40 ERA across the six pitchers used, striking out 28 over 25.0 innings of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED
vs Robert Morris
Norton established herself in the circle right away, forcing two groundouts and polishing off a 1-2-3 top of the first with a strikeout on four pitches. She would give up a solo home run in the second, before retiring five of the next six batters to get through three innings of allowing just the one hit. She worked herself out of a jam in the fourth inning, forcing a pair of weak ground balls in the infield to escape a bases loaded, one out, situation unscathed. She won a hard-fought battle for the second out of the inning, off a full count, when she collected a ground ball hit right up the middle, flipping it to Reese Hunter at the plate. Her next pitch was a groundball hit right at Domingue, who flipped it over to Sileo at second for the final out.
Dennis took the ball in the fifth with a 4-1 advantage and a runner on first. She quickly dispatched of the Robert Morris hitters in order, before working around a walk in the sixth to keep the Colonials frustrated.
The Jackets threatened in the first two innings but couldn’t get a run across, until a four-run third inning put the White & Gold in the drivers’ seat, up 4-1. Paige Vukadinovich got the ball rolling, reaching base with a leadoff walk, getting into scoring position after a single from Sileo before advancing to third on an Edgmon SAC bunt and coming around to score on a passed ball. A walk from Allen put two runners on for Black, who launched her first home run of the day, a three-run shot to left field, to put the Jackets in front, 4-1. Tech would add three more in the bottom of the fifth thanks to an RBI single from Emma Minghini and a two-run single from Vukadinovich.
The final blow was struck in the sixth as Black and Dobbins both delivered solo home runs to put Tech up by eight, leading to the mercy-rule victory.
vs UNCG
Neleman returned to form in a big way against UNCG, getting her fourth start of the year and delivering her first complete game victory of 2024. She pitched all seven innings, giving up just four hits and two solo home runs while striking out eight, tied for her season-best. She couldn’t be touched in the second inning, earning all three outs via punch out while working around a walk. She retired the last seven batters she faced in order, never allowing UNCG hope down the stretch of her best performance of the season thus far.
Tech took the lead in its first opportunity, with Edgmon launching her first-career leadoff home run. The Spartans tied things with a solo HR of their own in the third, only for the Jackets to respond, loading the bases with their first three batters of the third, before Domingue drove in Allen with a sacrifice fly, putting GT ahead, 2-1. UNCG would hit another solo shot in the fourth to tie things, 2-2, only for Tech to respond in the bottom of the inning once more, this time thanks to a two-run home run by Allen. Domingue would add an insurance run with a solo shot in the fifth, before Edgmon drove in Grace Connelly for the sixth and final run.
UP NEXT
The Jackets look to close out a perfect week tomorrow with a doubleheader against Ball State starting at 9 a.m. at Mewborn field. Both games will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra. Tickets are available at buzz.gt/SBTickets
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