Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Birmingham, Ala. – Georgia Tech picked up two big wins, topping No. 11/13 Kentucky 7-1 in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, before shutting out host Samford, 2-0, in the nightcap.
Game 1
Georgia Tech 7, No. 11/13 Kentucky 1
How it Happened: Tricia Awald, who went 2-for-2 with a walk, led off the second with a double and later scored from third on a throwing error. Then with two on, Ariella Jackson drove in Bailee Zeitler and Kennedy Cowden. The Jackets scored one more in the inning when Jackson scored on a Breanna Roper sac fly to put Georgia Tech up 4-0 early. Awald struck again with a two-run home run in the fifth, and Bianca Mora, who also homered yesterday against Kentucky, hit her second long ball in as many days in the sixth. Morgan Bruce allowed just one run in 5.2 innings, including a stretch when she retired seven straight batters, and Blake Neleman shut the door, going one and a third without allowing a hit.
Game 2
Georgia Tech 2, Samford 0
How it Happened: Neleman pitched a complete game shutout in her second career start, throwing a career-high nine strikeouts while allowing just four hits. The Jackets scored one in the third on an RBI double off the bat of Emma Kauf, and another in the seventh on a Kauf sac fly that scored Crosby Huckabay. That would be all Georgia Tech would need to get the win behind Neleman and the defense.
Georgia Tech will finish off the weekend tomorrow, facing host Samford again at 2:30 p.m. (ET). The game will be streaming on ESPN3.
Game Notes
- The win over Kentucky was Georgia Tech’s first over a ranked opponent since 2015.
- Blake Neleman set a new career high with nine strikeouts in her complete game shutout over Samford.
- Tricia Awald’s home run against Kentucky was her first of the season. She also has a team-leading six doubles on the year.
- Morgan Bruce picked up her third win of the season after allowing just one run on four hits over five and two-third innings against Kentucky.
Multimedia
PLAY BALL!!
📺 https://t.co/w0ZTOLSF1T
📈 https://t.co/CROQ902jDd#BeGold ||| #404institute pic.twitter.com/NjusDJn59c— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 22, 2020
B2 | Awald doubles to lead off the inning!! pic.twitter.com/Q6SNsmklbM
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 22, 2020
Ariella Jackson hits a two-run single to put Tech up 3-0 in the second
Mid 5 | Another 1-2-3 🔒🔒🔒
Due up – Roper, Kauf, Stanford
GT – 4, UK – 0
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 22, 2020
Tricia Awald hits her first home run of the season to give Tech a 6-0 lead
Mid 6 | Neleman pitches the Jackets out of a bases-loaded jam!
Due up – Zeitler, Jackson, Mora
GT – 6, UK – 1
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 22, 2020
Bianca Mora hits her second home run in as many days
Blake Neleman gets the strikeout to close the door on the Wildcats
JACKETS TAKE DOWN No. 11/13 KENTUCKY!!#BeGold pic.twitter.com/R0zQpOPDVP
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 22, 2020
First pitch on its way from Birmingham!
📺 https://t.co/FgnECoXr2h
📈 https://t.co/9yPlzR3KiR#BeGold ||| #404institute pic.twitter.com/ntkEJ39mLG— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 22, 2020
T3 | Kauf doubles to score Mora and the Jackets are on the board!
GT – 1, SAM – 0 pic.twitter.com/JYBLG5tPkJ
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 23, 2020
End 4 | Strikeout number 7️⃣ for Neleman retires the side!!
Due up – Jackson, Mora, Cassidy
GT – 1, SAM – 0 pic.twitter.com/sTRMRS4Wy6
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 23, 2020
End 6 | Two biGTime defensive plays by Cassidy and strikeout 8️⃣ from Neleman retire the Bulldogs!
Due up – Zeitler, Huckabay, Mora
GT – 1, SAM – 0
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 23, 2020
T7 | Kauf sac fly scores Huckabay!
GT – 2, SAM – 0
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 23, 2020
Tech SWEEPS the doubleheader!!#BeGold pic.twitter.com/0fJH41fde4
— GT Softball 🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 (@GaTechSoftball) February 23, 2020
