Story Courtesy Georgia Southern sports information
STATESBORO, GA - Georgia Southern junior Logan Free (Sandpoint, Idaho) tossed a two-hitter in game two but was done in by seven walks as Georgia Tech swept the Eagles in a softball doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at Eagle Field.
Tech held off a late GSU rally in game one to prevail 3-2 and took a rain-extended game two 3-0 to improve to 42-16. The Eagles fall to 24-30.
Georgia Tech 3, Georgia Southern 2
Georgia Tech got all of its offense in the fourth inning, powered by homers from Amy Hosier and Blair Shimandle, with Shimandle’s four-bagger being an inside-the-park job.
Hosier started the scoring with a solo shot to right and Caitlin Lever followed with a single. One out later, Shimandle hit a liner down the left field line that eluded junior Aurora Johnson’s (Macon, Ga.) diving attempt and into the corner, allowing both runners to score.
Junior Maria Laurato (New Orleans, La.) answered with a home run in the bottom of the fourth to put the Eagles on the board and later was a factor in GSU’s seventh inning rally by singling to move senior Gina Sterchi (Chattanooga, Tenn.) to second base. Senior Shanita Black (Fayetteville, N.C.) walked with the bases loaded to force in a run to cut the deficit to 3-2, but Tech reliever Sarah Wood induced a weak grounder to first to end the threat.
Whitney Humphries allowed five hits and two earned runs in six innings for the victory (17-5) while junior A.J. Street (Lilburn, Ga.) gave up six hits and three runs in 3.2 innings of work in the loss (4-9).
Georgia Tech 3, Georgia Southern 0
Three walks in the first inning came back to haunt Free as the Jackets scored twice on a two-out, two-run single by Aileen Morales to take an early advantage.
A walk to Morales to begin the fourth inning accounted for Tech’s third run. After the free pass, Morales was sacrificed to second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Daisy Paez’s fly ball to center was deep enough to plate Morales to take a commanding 3-0 lead.
The three-run cushion was more than enough for Wood (16-6) who matched Free (11-10) in the hit column with a two-hitter of her own, walking two and striking out one. Free struck out five and allowed all three earned runs.