May 11, 2001
Raleigh, N.C. – The fourth-seeded Georgia Tech softball team was unable to find any offensive groove and dropped a tight 1-0 decision to fifth-seeded Maryland in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Tournament. The three-day event is being hosted by the University of North Carolina at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex in Raleigh, N.C.
Maryland had runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, as the Terrapins loaded the bases with one out in the second inning before Jen Peel grounded into a 5-2-3 double play that ended the threat and the inning.
The Terps grabbed the decisive 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning as Michelle Burrell led off the frame with her second single of the game and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Annemarie Browne before advancing to third on a groundout by Jennifer Potzman. Burrell later came around to score on a single by Kiesha Pickeral.
Tech had perhaps its best chance to score in the contest in the sixth inning, as senior Erin Hawley lined a one-out double into the gap in left center field, but the Jackets’ next two batters grounded out to end the inning.
Terrapin starter Amanda Bettker (15-6) held the Yellow Jacket offense at bay for the entire afternoon, limiting Tech to just two hits in the contest. She also had four strikeouts in the complete-game outing, while walking just one. Tech starter Erin Voeltz (12-17) was once again a tough-luck loser in the game, as she allowed just the one run, while scattering seven hits and striking out a pair of Maryland hitters.
The Jackets will be in action again tomorrow morning with a matchup against third-seeded Virginia, which lost in the day’s second game to North Carolina by a 7-3 score. The contest will be an elimination game with the first pitch schedule for 11:00 a.m.
