On May 23 and 24 the women’s softball team played its last two games in what had been a historic season for the Jackets. The No. 14 Jackets dropped both their games in the Super Regionals over the weekend at Mewborn Field to a No. 3 Washington team that went on to the Women’s College World Series. The Huskies went on to defeat both Georgia and Florida to win the 2009 Softball Championship.
Tech dropped its first game on Saturday 7-1 and again on Sunday 7-0. Junior second baseman Jen Yee provided Tech’s lone score for the weekend as she hit her team-leading 16th home run of the season. The Huskies’ pitcher Danielle Lawrie proved dominant for their team as she allowed only one run on four hits during the first game. In addition, she only walked one and struck out 10 in that first matchup. Lawrie continued her streak into the second day as she gave up just three singles, did not walk a batter, struck out eight, and hit two home runs for Washington.
Even with Tech’s loss and coming up short for the College World Series, the Jackets have accomplished a great deal over the course of the season. The women’s team just finished with its best season in program history by finishing with its highest ranking in the national polls. The Jackets finished 13th in both the final NFCA and ESPN.com top 25 polls in addition to 12th in the RPI, all of which are program bests.
In the preseason coaches’ poll the Jackets were projected to be third in the ACC, but went on to win both the regular season and tournament title. Tech finished 17-3 in conference play and won all seven league series. Under head coach Sharon Perkins’ direction the Jackets have won three conference championships over the past three years.
In retrospect, Tech’s season brought on a new softball stadium over at Mewborn Field, another ACC title, Tech’s best end-of-season ranking and the program’s first appearance in a Super Regional.
The Jackets had a number of notable individual performances as well. Yee and senior first baseman Whitney Haller were both named third-team Easton All-Americans, and Haller was named to the All-American first team by both Lowe’s and ESPN The Magazine. Yee will return for her redshirt senior season when the season begins next February.