TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Virginia struck for three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to defeat Georgia Tech, 4-0, in the first round of the 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference softball tournament. Virginia (33-24), the fourth seed, will play No. 1 seed Maryland (47-19) at 7 p.m. tonight, while Tech (21-37), the fifth seed, will now play Saturday at 3 p.m., in a consolation round game versus the loser of No. 2 Florida State (37-25-1) and No. 3 North Carolina (40-20).
The Cavaliers broke on top in the bottom of the fourth inning with four straight hits against Yellow Jacket starter Jamie Smith. Cavalier third baseman Karen Breshears and left fielder Jen Krill both singled sharply to leftfield to drive in runs to move Virginia ahead 2-0 and knock Smith out of the game. Right fielder Meaghan Young delivered an RBI single off reliever Mimi Utt and then Utt struck out Corinne Good to end the inning. Breshears added an RBI single on a squeeze bunt in the fifth inning to plate the fourth Cavalier run.
Virginia starter Stacey Zagol (11-10) gained her second win against Tech this year and did it by again yielding just four hits. Center fielder Heather Sumrow (Humble, Texas) singled twice to go 2-for-2 and also reached on an error, while third baseman Jamie Frost (Eugene, Ore.) had a single and pinch hitter Erin Hawley (Cerritos, Calif.) had a single.
“This is the second time Stacey Zagol has shut us down this year,” said head coach Kate Madden. “She only gave up four hits just like in the regular season game and we can not expect to score if we don’t hit. We didn’t score today and when you get shut out you lose. We need to regroup and get ready to play tomorrow with one loss against us.”
GEORGIA TECH 000 000 0 - 0 4 1VIRGINIA 000 310 - 4 10 2
Jamie Smith, MimiUtt (5) and Anne Knobbe. Stacey Zagol and Mariruth Graham.
WP — Zagol (11-10). LP — Smith (8-11). T — 1:38.
