March 22, 2012
LAFAYETTE, La. – In a 12-11 slugfest, the Georgia Tech softball team was edged in the bottom of the sixth inning by No. 8 Louisiana-Lafayette, falling at Lamson Park in game one of the doubleheader between the two teams. The 11 runs scored by the Jackets were the most given up by ULL this year.
Ashley Thomas scored a career best four runs for the Jackets (19-15) reaching base every time she stepped to the plate via three hits, a walk and an error on the second baseman. Kate Kuzma was 2-for-4 on the night scoring three runs and driving in Thomas twice.
The Jackets got out to an 8-1 advantage but let up eight runs in the fourth inning, only two earned, to give up the lead. The seven run deficit was the biggest of the season for the Cajuns (27-0) who battled back to remain undefeated.
The Jackets got out to a quick 2-0 lead when Kelsi Weseman blasted her sixth homer of the season to deep centerfield scoring Ashley Thomas from second base.
La.-Lafayette cut the lead in half with a home run of its own as Brianna Cherry ripped one off the scoreboard in right field in the bottom of the second.
Tech continued to add to its lead in the third inning. Thomas led off yet again with a single up the middle, stealing second in the next at bat. Kuzma, who laid down the sacrifice bunt earlier in the game to move up Thomas, this time ripped a shot into left field to bring Thomas home from second, for the third run of the game. Weseman was hit by a pitch and Rudnik walked to load the bases for Hope Rush. A wild pitch in Rush’s at bat brought home Kuzma for the 4-1 Jacket lead.
Tech tacked on another four runs in the fourth via just two hits, three walks and three La.-Lafayette errors. Chelsie Thomas, Kuzma, Weseman and Rudnik all came around to score for the Jackets during the elongated inning as Tech batted around for just the second time this season. It was the first time Tech has gone around the order since the second inning in the Jackets first game of the year against Oregon State.
The seven run lead by Tech was the largest lead over the Cajuns this season. Both Kentucky and Houston held leads of 4-1 over ULL, but the team was able to respond to stay undefeated. La.-Lafayette responded once again with a huge inning scoring eight runs and regaining the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
But the Thomas/Kuzma duo helped Tech to tie things up. Thomas reached for the fourth time, this time drawing the leadoff walk, stealing second, and coming home on a double to right center by Kuzma to even things at 9-all. Kuzma came home in the next at bat on a single by Weseman for the 10-9 lead.
But the Cajuns responded yet again, this time in the bottom of the sixth using a sacrifice fly to tie things and a homerun by Sarah Draheim, her second of the game, to put ULL back on top 12-10.
Thomas scored once again in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to just one, but that is where it would stay as Tech fell for the first time to a No. 8 seed this season, 12-11.
Tech continues its doubleheader with ULL tonight.
Keep up to date with the Georgia Tech Softball team all season long at www.RamblinWreck.com as well as twitter.com/GaTechSoftball and facebook.com/GTSoftball
