TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Apr. 30) – The Maryland Terrapins squeaked out a 2-1 victory over Georgia Tech, eliminating the Yellow Jackets, in Game Four of the 2000 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, Sunday afternoon at the Seminole Softball Complex. With the loss, Tech ended its season 25-33 overall while the Terps improved to 27-24 and stay alive to face North Carolina in Game Six at 5 p.m.
There was little offensive production through the first three innings as both teams combined for just three hits. In the Maryland fourth, Beth Radford and Kiesha Pickeral led off with singles and a walk to Michelle Burrell loaded the bases with one out. The Terrapins’ Jillian Callaway hit a base hit to left field scoring one run, but Maryland left the bases loaded. The Yellow Jackets stranded two runners themselves in the bottom of the fourth, but in the fifth inning, they tied the game. Tech had the bases loaded with two out as Lindsay Wood, Lauren Schwartz and Heather Sumrow all recorded base hits. Erin Hawley drew a walk to score one run and then ACC batting leader Anne Knobbe came up to the plate, with the bases still loaded, but popped out to end the inning. In the top of the seventh with one out, Maryland’s Annmarie Browne hit a double to deep center field for the first extra-base hit of the game. She was brought home by a two-out single, hit sharply to the shortstop, by Jennifer Potzman. The Yellow Jackets went down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
“I think our kids played a tight game,” Maryland Head Coach Gina LaMandre said. “I’m very proud of how our kids maintained composure. We have a lot of youth and we handled ourselves very well.”
Maryland pitcher Jennifer Shellhammer (9-6) struck out five and allowed six hits in six innings and Danielle Carpenter pitched the seventh for the Terrapin pitching staff’s first save of the year. Potzman and Radford each had two hits for the Terps, who left eight runners on base. Georgia Tech’s Heather Sumrow led the team with two hits, but the Yellow Jackets also stranded eight runners. Jamie Smith fell to 14-18 in the loss.
“I’m very pleased with the way we played in this tournament,” Georgia Tech Head Coach Kate Madden said. “We fought tooth and nail in every inning both days and both games were respectable. I don’t feel we could have done much more other than hit better with runners in scoring position. I’m hoping we will use this as a start for next season.”
