April 3, 2002
ATLANTA – Despite a sluggish start to game one, the Georgia Tech softball team (33-9, 4-0 ACC) extended its winning streak to six games Wednesday with a doubleheader sweep of Georgia Southern (15-23, 7-2 Southern) at Glenn Field. The Jackets took the first game, 7-3, and won the second, 4-0.
With 33 wins, Tech now has its highest victory total since 1994.
Held hitless until the bottom of the fifth, the Jackets fell behind in the fourth inning of game one, as a bases-loaded single by Eagle third baseman Jana Fuzi scored two. Fuzi sent a shot up the middle that ricocheted off the glove of Tech pitcher Tiffany Goodman, giving Georgia Southern a 2-0.
The Jackets rallied in the fifth, as right fielder Soraya Reddick walked and stole second to lead off the inning. Left fielder Kirin Kumar then singled up the middle to score Reddick. Kumar stole second and second baseman Felicia Coursey walked. Both moved up on a groundout by first baseman Katie Donovan. Kumar then scored on a wild pitch by GSU reliever Crystal Crews, while Coursey took third on the play. A single by shortstop Tara Knudsen scored Coursey, giving Tech a 3-2 advantage.
After the Eagles evened the score at three in their half of the sixth, the Jackets put the game away in the bottom of the inning. Third baseman Jamie Frost walked to lead off the inning, followed by a bunt single by center fielder Sara Wissmann. A Reddick sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third. Kumar then singled to center, scoring Frost. Wissmann later scored as Kumar stole second and the throw to second went into center field. Tech tacked on two more unearned runs, making the final count 7-3.
Sophomore Erin Voeltz entered in the fifth to pick up the win. She allowed one earned run on two hits and a walk in three innings, as she moves to 11-4 this season. Goodman allowed five hits and two earned runs in four innings.
Crews took the loss for the Eagles, allowing five runs in 1.2 innings.
At the plate, Knudsen and Kumar led the Jackets with two hits and a pair runs batted in each.
In game two, the Jackets scratched first, posting a pair of runs in the second. Frost walked to lead off the inning and scored on a double by designated player Tasha Waugh. Kumar’s third hit of the day, a single to right center, plated Waugh and gave Tech a 2-0 lead.
The Jackets added a pair in the fifth on RBI singles by pinch hitter Mimi Utt and Waugh, who led Tech offensively in game two with two hits and two runs batted in.
A four-run lead would be more than enough for Tech starter Jessica Sallinger, who allowed just three hits and struck out nine in six innings. With the win she moves to 16-4 on the season and needs just one more win to tie the Jackets’ single-season victory mark.
Aimee Littlejohn was the loser for GSU, dropping to 6-10 on the season.
The game was called in the middle of the sixth due to darkness.
The Jackets return to action in a Friday doubleheader at North Carolina. Tech will take on the Tar Heels at 4 p.m. and will stay in Chapel Hill for the Tar Heel Invitational, which features the Jackets, North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia and gets underway Saturday.
-GT-
