April 30, 2006
ATLANTA – Junior Sarah Wood (17-7) threw 6.2 strong innings, allowing just one earned run and five hits, and junior Caitlin Lever drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead Georgia Tech (43-18, 12-9 ACC) to a 3-2 victory over No. 25 Virginia Tech (37-15, 12-8 ACC) in Atlantic Coast Conference softball action on Sunday at Glenn Field.
Sophomore Savannah Brown and freshman Blair Shimandle each drove in runs for the Yellow Jackets. Freshman Lacey Richardson earned her third save of the season, inducing a ground out to second base for the final out of the game.
VT’s Katie Maynard (13-9) worked 6.0 solid innings for the Hokies, allowing three runs, three hits and struck out one.
The Jackets took an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning as Brown and Shimandle smacked consecutive doubles and junior Kristina Hull drove in Shimandle with a sacrifice fly to center field.
VT’s Callie Rhodes hit a triple down the left field line, just the second allowed by Tech on the season, to plate an unearned run for the Hokies in the top of the third inning as Tech’s lead was cut to one, 2-1.
Brown kept the Hokies from scoring the tying run in the top of the fifth inning with a diving stab in the hole from third base and fired over to first base in time for the second out of the inning. Wood retired the final batter of the inning to preserve Tech’s 2-1 lead.
Virginia Tech tied the game in the top of the sixth inning as Jessica Everhart doubled off the left field fence with two outs as the game moved to the bottom half tied at 2-2.
Senior Christine Sheridan led off the inning with a double to left-center field, advanced to third on a deep fly ball by freshman Whitney Haller and scored on a Lever sacrifice fly as the Jackets regained the lead, 3-2.
The Jackets scored three runs, on three hits and committed two errors, while VT scored two runs, on six hits and had no errors.
The Yellow Jackets will be the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament, May 11-14, in Chapel Hill, N.C. Tech is the defending ACC Tournament champions and will face the winner of the Florida State-Maryland series which will take place next weekend.
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