THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (27-16, 10-6 ACC) made short work of Louisville (23-17, 4-9 ACC) on Friday night, powering past the Cardinals, 8-0, in five innings at Mewborn Field. Mallorie Black and Sara Beth Allen each connected for three-run home runs and Sophia Voyles allowed just one hit over 5.0 innings in her first-career complete game shutout.
QUICK HITS: THE TEAM
- With this win, Georgia Tech has won double digit ACC games for the 14th time. It is the fifth 10-win conference season under Aileen Morales, the second most in program history.
- This win also guarantees a winning regular season, the fifth in the Morales era.
- The win improves GT’s home record to 19-5, the second most home wins in a single season under Coach Morales.
- This marks the third mercy-rule shutout win of the season and the second in as many games after defeating Alabama State, 9-0 (5), on Wednesday.
- It is the first back-to-back run-rule shutout since 2021 and the first involving an ACC opponent since 2010.
- The Yellow Jackets drove in eight runs today, bringing their total to 281, the seventh most in program history and just 21 away from the most in the Morales era (302 in 2019).
- The Jackets hit two home runs today, bringing the season total to 76, the fourth most in program history. Tech is on pace for 95 home runs this season.
- Tech has now won five ACC games via run-rule, one shy of the program record set back in 2010.
QUICK HITS: THE BATS
- Sara Beth Allen stayed hot at the plate, delivering her 15th home run of the season, a three-run HR in the third inning.
- It was a part of a 2 for 2 day for Allen who finished with four RBI.
- Allen now owns 42 RBI this season, her first-career 40 RBI season.
- The Jackson County, Ga. native is now 6 for 8 with five home runs, 12 RBI and two walks over her last three games. She has homered in five of her last seven at bats.
- She drew a leadoff walk in her first at bat, her 37th walk of the season, tying Christine Sheridan (2006) for the 9th most in a season in program history
- Mallorie Black connected for her team-leading 17th home run of the year in the second inning, tying her with Hope Rush for the 7th most HRs by a Yellow Jacket in a single season.
- The three-run shot brings her RBI total to 55 this year, the most in the ACC and tied for the third most in all of Division I.
- Black has now hit six home runs over her last six games.
- In the month of April, Black (6) and Allen (5) have combined for 11 home runs, more than every other team in the ACC except for Virginia Tech.
- This was the eighth 3+ RBI game for Black, the most on the team and the most by a Yellow Jacket in a single season since Hope Rush in 2010.
- The Jackets now have four players with over 40 RBI this year for the first time since 2010: Black (55), Madison Dobbins (49), Tiffany Domingue (42) and Allen (42).
- Dobbins collected her 49th RBI of the year off a fielders’ choice in the first inning.
- Ella Edgmon was hit by a pitch twice tonight, her 13th and 14th HBPs of the year, tying her with Kelsi Weseman (2011 & 2012) for the 5th most in a season in program history.
- The Yellow Jackets are hitting .420 as a team with a .503 on base percentage, .747 slugging percentage, 15 home runs and 53 runs scored in the month of April (last six games).
QUICK HITS: THE ARMS
- Sophia Voyles made her 13th start of the season, pitching all five innings and allowing only one base hit.
- It was her first-career complete game shutout, throwing just 77 pitches to collect 15 outs.
- The effort resulted in her 8th win of the season, the most on the team.
- Voyles lowered her ERA to 3.35 for the year, the lowest on the staff.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Voyles set the tone from the start, keeping the Cardinals off balance in the first inning with the only ball hit in fair territory going straight to Black at third for the groundout. The Louisville starter struggled to find command in the bottom of the first as Allen and Black reached base with walks before Edgmon took an inside pitch off the shoulder to load the bases with only one out. The Jackets would only manage one run out of the situation, thanks to a fielders’ choice ground ball from Dobbins, but that was enough for a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
After Voyles sat the Cardinals down with just nine pitches in the top of the second, Tech got after it again offensively. Reese Hunter led the inning off with a walk, advancing to second thanks to s sacrifice bunt from Gracie Hillman. Jin Sileo laid down a bunt as well, beating the throw to first to put runners at the corners with only one out. Allen snuck a ground ball through the left side of the infield to allow Hunter to score, before Black brought everybody home with a homer just over the wall in center field to give Tech a 5-0 lead after only two innings.
Voyles surrendered her only hit of the game in the third, a leadoff double. She would battle her way through the rest of the inning, striking out the final batter on three pitches to keep momentum in the Jackets’ dugout. In the bottom of the inning, Hillman reached base with a single before Sileo, once again, reached first on a bunt single. With two runners on, Allen obliterated a pitch well over the shed in left field for a towering three-run blast. That put Tech in front, 8-0, a score that would hold for the remaining innings thanks to two more scoreless innings from Voyles, who ended the game with her second strikeout of the day, just for good measure.
UP NEXT
The Jackets continue the series against Louisville tomorrow at 2 p.m. before the finale on Sunday at noon. Both games will be streamed live on ACCNX. For ticket information, visit ramblinwreck.com
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