On April 2, the Tech softball team traveled to Maryland to take on a conference foe in a three-game series. The Jackets swept the Terrapins by a combined score of 11-5 and then defeated Kennesaw State at home on April 6.
The No. 25 Tech softball team took on Maryland in the first of two games on Saturday and won the first game, 5-2.
Senior Kristen Adkins pitched a gem of a game and improved to 15-3 with the win. The righty only allowed three hits and one earned run in seven innings. Although she walked four batters, she managed to work around the walks thanks in large part to her six strikeouts.
After a routine first inning, the Jackets got on the scoreboard in inning number two when junior shortstop Kelsi Weseman walked to lead off the inning. An illegal pitch allowed her to advance to second base, and she was promptly moved over to third thanks to a sacrifice bunt by senior first baseman Kristene Priebe.
Another illegal pitch scored Weseman, and after a walk to freshman third baseman Alysha Rudnik, the Maryland pitcher threw another illegal pitch.
The pitcher would get out of the jam, but that was the last inning she was able to complete.
Maryland tied the game in the third when a leadoff walk, a single and a stolen base led to the Terrapins’ first run of the game.
It did not take long for the Jackets to break the tie; in the fourth inning, they scored three runs to put the score at 4-1.
Weseman was hit by a pitch with one out and further control problems from the Maryland pitcher led to Priebe getting a walk. Rudnik drove both runners home with her ninth home run of the year.
Maryland would score a run in the fourth inning, but Tech would match it in the fifth to give the Jackets a 5-2 series-opening win.
Tech started off the second game of the day with a bang as Rudnik homered in the opening inning to give the Jackets an early 1-0 lead.
Maryland could not take advantage of their opportunities in the bottom half of the frame and left three runners on base.
The Jackets would take advantage of the Terrapins’ mistake and added two runs to their lead in the second inning when junior right fielder Jessica Sinclair hit a two-run home run.
Over the next two innings, Maryland would come back to tie the game, and this would spell the end of sophomore pitcher Hope Rush’s start.
The final line for Rush was two earned runs and five walks in only four innings pitched.
Adkins came in for her second pitching outing of the day and managed to pick up the save. Adkins did not allow a run over the game’s final three innings.
The final game of the series came on Sunday and ended up being a pitcher’s duel with both starters going the entire seven innings.
Tech barely came away with the win, 2-0, and the play of freshman pitcher Lindsey Anderson helped the Jackets secure the victory in the low-scoring game.
Anderson pitched a two-hit shutout for her fifth win of the season. Anderson only needed 80 pitches to hurl the complete game and started her efficiency early in the game with a three-up-three-down first inning that included two strikeouts.
The only runs of the game came in the second inning when Sinclair hit her second home run of the series when Priebe walked to lead off the inning.
Anderson avoided a scare in the game’s final inning but managed to get out of a bases loaded jam when a fielder’s choice ended the game.
The Jackets came back home on April 6 to face off against Kennesaw State and came away with a win, 6-1.
Anderson again pitched a strong game. The freshman threw a complete game for another win and only gave up one run. Her strikeout to walk ratio was high in the contest as Adkins punched out nine while only walking one.
Tech managed to get a one-run lead in the game’s second inning thanks to four base hits.
Later in the game, Weseman homered with senior center fielder Christy Jones standing on second base to extend Tech’s lead to 3-0.
Tech later added three more runs on the back of a Weseman double to put the game almost out of reach heading into the final inning.
The Owls did manage to put a run when Anderson threw her only bad pitch of the game, and the Kennesaw State batter homered to break up the shutout.
Tech next plays at Virginia Tech on April 9-10 before coming home on April 13 to face the Georgia Bulldogs. The Bulldogs won the team’s only meeting thus far this season.