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Virginia Softball Swept In Doubleheader By Georgia Tech
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April 27, 2007
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Georgia Tech hit seven home runs while sweeping a doubleheader from the Virginia softball team Friday afternoon (April 25) at The Park. The Yellow Jackets hit three homers in a 12-3 five-inning win in the first game and then slammed four more home runs in a 15-0 five-inning win in the nightcap. With the two losses, UVa falls to 17-36 overall and 1-19 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while Georgia Tech improves to 48-13 overall and 13-6 in the ACC. The Yellow Jackets have won 14 games in a row.
Savannah Brown led the long ball charge for the Jackets as she slammed four home runs in the doubleheader, including three in the second contest. She drove in eight runs on the afternoon. Brittany Barnes hit three homers and drove in 10 runs.
In game one, Georgia Tech took a quick 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With one out, Jennifer Yee hit a double to left field and then with two outs Brown and Caitlin Lever drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Kristina Hull plated the first two runs with a single through the left side of the infield. Barnes staked the Yellow Jackets to a 5-0 lead with a three-run homer to left. Barnes increased Georgia Tech’s lead to 8-0 with her second three-run homer of the game.
The Cavaliers tallied two runs in the bottom of the third to close within 8-2. Fourth-year designated player Brooke Sorber (Alexandria, Va.) led off with a single up the middle and then first-year first baseman Kelly Haller (Leesburg, Va.) drilled a two-run homer down the left field line. It was Haller’s team-leading 11th home run of the season. The Yellow Jackets answered with three runs in the fourth inning. Yee singled in the first run and then Brown hit a two-run homer to right center to make the score 11-2. Yee extended the Jackets’ lead to 12-2 with another single in the fifth.
UVa added a third run in the bottom of the fifth to make the final score 12-3. Haller was hit by a pitch with one out. Third-year Lindsey Preuss (La Plata, Md.) pinch ran for Haller and moved to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a passed ball. Preuss scored on first-year right fielder Sarah Tacke’s (Merced, Calif.) double to center field.
Fourth-year Coty Tolar (Marietta, Ga.) suffered the loss for UVa to fall to 5-12 on the season. In five innings, she allowed 12 runs on 12 hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Whitney Humphreys picked up the complete-game victory for Georgia Tech to improve to 21-5 on the season. She allowed three runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Georgia Tech erupted for 11 runs on eight hits in the top of the first inning of the nightcap. Barnes hit a grand slam in the inning while Brown added a three-run shot. Brown led off the fourth inning with a home run to center for her third round-tripper of the afternoon. She launched her third homer of the second game – a two-run shot – in the fifth inning to make the final score 15-0.
Second-year Karla Wilburn (Del Mar, Calif.) took the loss to fall to 6-13 on the season. She allowed five runs on four hits with a walk in the first inning. Third-year Whitney Holstun (Escondido, Calif.) relieved Wilburn in the first and got two out while allowing five runs on three hits. Holstun walked two and struck out one. First-year Nicole Koren (Warminster, Pa.) threw the final 4.1 innings and was charged with five runs on four hits while walking one and striking out three. Sarah Wood held UVa to three hits over the first four innings to earn the victory in the circle for the Jackets. Wood (9-1) walked two and struck out two. Lacey Richardson pitched the fifth inning and gave up one hit while striking out two.
Haller was 3-for-5 in the doubleheader for the Cavaliers, including a pair of hits in the second game, while fourth-year catcher Michelle Salmiery (San Jose, Calif.) had two hits in the twinbill.
Virginia wraps up its series against Georgia Tech with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday (April 28). UVa will honor its six fourth-years prior to the game.