March 30, 2003
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
MACON, Ga. – Juniors Sara Wissmann and Tara Knudsen each homered and combined for 13 runs batted in, and four Yellow Jackets had five-hit afternoons as the Georgia Tech softball team (26-13) swept a doubleheader from Mercer (22-14) at Bear Field. The Jackets won game one, 14-0, and took the second, 10-1.
In game one, Tech took a 4-0 lead into the seventh before scoring 10 runs, a season single-inning high, in the final frame. Led by a 4-for-4 effort from Knudsen, the Jackets pounded out 13 hits in the first contest. The 14 runs scored were the most for the Jackets since downing Radford, 20-3, on March 4, 2000.
In the second game, Tech one-upped itself with a season-high 14 hits. Much like the first game, the Jackets carried a 4-1 lead into the seventh before scoring six runs for the 10-1 final margin. The Jackets are now 16-0 when scoring at least four runs.
With Knudsen’s third home run in as many games opening the scoring, the Jackets jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning of game one. Tech added two more runs in the frame on a bizarre base hit by center fielder Sara Wissmann. Her hit cleared the left field wall, but Wissmann passed right fielder Soraya Reddick on the base paths after touching first and was ruled out on the play. Reddick and first baseman Katie Donovan, who both walked, were awarded home to push the Tech advantage to 4-0.
Wissmann atoned for her first inning miscue with a three-run homer in the seventh, which scored Knudsen and Donovan, who singled to lead off the inning. Wissmann’s blast, her second official homer of the season, gave her five runs batted in for the game, tying a career high. After the Jackets loaded the bases again and two more runs scored on a throwing error by Mercer third baseman Crystal Pardue, the floodgates opened. Before the inning was over, the Jackets sent 14 batters to the plated and scored a season single-inning high 10 runs in the frame. In addition to Wissmann’s homer, Donovan plated three runs with a triple, while Knudsen and Reddick added RBI singles. Both Knudsen and Donovan had two hits in the inning.
Tech starter Erin Voeltz (9-3) picked up the win after tossing her fourth shutout this season. She went seven innings, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out seven. Mercer loaded the bases on three occasions, but Voeltz worked out the jam each time, stranding nine Bear runners. Stephanee Finger (5-3) took the game one loss for Mercer. She went 6.1 innings and allowed nine runs (eight earned) on nine hits and seven walks.
At the plate for the Jackets, Knudsen had four hits, three RBI and three runs scored. Donovan was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI, while Wissmann was 2-for-5 with a homer and the five RBI.
In the second game, Reddick singled with the bases loaded to score third baseman Tara Neff, who singled to lead off the inning, and give Tech a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Wissmann then drove in her sixth run of the day when she reached on fielder’s choice. Mercer picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to trim the Yellow Jacket margin to 2-1.
Catcher Tasha Waugh pushed the Tech lead to 4-1 in the sixth with a double to left center that plated two. Reddick and Wissmann both singled to start the two-out rally before Waugh’s double.
In the six-run seventh, Knudsen, who is now batting a team-best .333, got the scoring started with a single to center that drove in two and extended her season-best hitting streak to nine games. Reddick had a RBI double, and Wissmann drove in two with a double to close out the scoring.
Reddick and Wissmann were both 3-for-4 in game two. Reddick scored two runs and drove in a pair, while Wissmann had three RBI to give her eight on the day.
Starter Jessica Sallinger improved to 14-9 with the game two win. She went seven innings and allowed one unearned run on five hits and one walk. Sallinger also struck out eight batters. Mercer’s Katie Rosentreter (4-3) took the loss after giving up 13 hits and 10 runs (nine earned).
Tech continues its 10-game road swing in Athens Wednesday when the Jackets face ninth-ranked Georgia in a 5 p.m. doubleheader. Tech softball makes its 2003 radio debut as both games will be broadcast by WREK (91.1 FM). The station will also cover the Jackets home doubleheaders with Mississippi State and North Carolina.
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