Feb. 12, 2002
ATLANTA — Fueled by stellar pitching, including a no-hitter in game two by freshman Jessica Sallinger, the Georgia Tech softball team opened its season Sunday by winning a pair of games from Gardner-Webb at Glenn Field. The Jackets took the first game, 5-1, and followed that with a 9-0 victory in game two.
Sallinger (1-0) was unhittable in her collegiate debut, as she fanned 11 of the 15 batters she faced, including eight of the first nine. The 11 strikeouts equaled a Tech school record, and she became the first Yellow Jacket hurler to hold an opponent hitless since 1996. Sallinger had plenty of runs to work with, as Tech scored at least two runs in each of its four times at bat.
Senior third baseman Jamie Frost went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs batted in and runs scored. Her home run to lead off the second inning put the Jackets ahead 4-0. Junior Lindsay Wood, who caught game two, and second baseman Felicia Coursey also had a pair of hits each. Coursey added a pair of runs scored.
With a 9-0 lead in the fifth, the game ended due to the eight-run rule.
In the first game, the Lady Bulldogs jumped on the board first, scoring on a double-steal. Trisha Holman, who led off the game with a single to right, scored from third, as Stephanie Shrum, swiped second.
Tech got on the scoreboard in the third, as Coursey singled and was moved to second by a sacrifice bunt by freshman Kirin Kumar. Sophomore Tara Knudsen then doubled to left field, scoring Coursey and tying the game.
After a double by Wood to open the fourth for Tech, Sophomore Soraya Reddick singled to drive in Tara Neff, who had come on to pinch run for Wood, to give the Jackets the lead, 2-1.
Tech broke the game open in the fifth, as Coursey triple to open the inning. After an out by Kumar, Knudsen homered off the scoreboard in left center to make the score 4-2.
Knudsen went 2-for-3 in the game with three runs batted in. Coursey and Reddick also added two hits apiece, Junior Tiffany Goodman (1-0) picked up the win after allowing just one run and three hits in four innings, while sophomore Erin Voeltz picked up the save, going three scoreless innings to close the game.
Tech (2-0, 0-0 ACC) returns to action on Wednesday, February 13, when the Jackets host Furman at 2 p.m. at Glenn Field.
