March 17, 2003
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech softball team (18-11) hopes to extend its five-game winning streak Tuesday when the Jackets host Arkansas (14-15) for a 2 p.m. doubleheader at Glenn Field.
The Jackets are coming off a Sunday doubleheader sweep of Princeton in which Tech hit four home runs and sophomore ace Jessica Sallinger fired a one-hit, 15-strikeout gem in the second game. The Jackets won game one, 8-1, and took the second test, 4-0.
Last time out for Arkansas, it dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Auburn, 2-0 and 3-2. The Lady Razorbacks are currently 3-6 in Southeastern Conference play.
With double-digit hits in both games against Princeton, the Georgia Tech bats have continued to improve from an early-season slump. Senior second baseman Felicia Coursey leads the way among Tech regulars with a .326 mark, which ranks ninth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Coursey also ranks among the league’s top five in hits and triples.
Junior Tara Knudsen, who homered twice against Princeton, leads the team and ranks second in the conference with five round-trippers. Both Knudsen and senior Lindsay Wood are tied for the team lead with 15 runs batted in.
After a string of tough-luck losses, Sallinger has won her last four decisions to improve to 10-7 on the season. She is tied for second in the ACC in victories and is third with a 1.31 earned run average. Additionally, her 152 strikeouts are tied at the top spot in the league.
Arkansas is led at the plate by Ruth Atkins, who is batting .361. Kim Eiben (.312) and Lauren Hendrix (.310) are also batting over .300 for the Lady Backs. Julie Young is the top run producer with three home runs and 20 RBI. Both the Jackets and Lady Razorbacks are batting .252 as a team.
Valanna Lyons is the top pitcher for Arkansas. She is 7-7 with a 2.53 earned run average.
Following Tuesday’s action, the Jackets will host the 11th-annual Buzz Classic at the Al Bishop Softball Complex in Marietta, which opens Friday and concludes Sunday. Tech is slated to face Maryland, Lipscomb, Troy State and Radford in pool play.
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