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Georgia Tech Softball: Jackets open up season with losses to Lipscomb and Florida State

By Dylan Callaghan-Croley

CONSUELO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - AUGUST 20: A Close up of tattered baseballs and softballs the players use to practice with on August 20, 2003 in Consuelo, Dominican Republic. Consuelo, which has ten programs for youths to learn and play baseball, is about 50 miles east of Santo Domingo. Of the ten programs, two provide housing for the players. One of which is Latin Baseball Academy, which was set up ten months ago by Luis Silvestre, a taxi driver in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
CONSUELO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - AUGUST 20: A Close up of tattered baseballs and softballs the players use to practice with on August 20, 2003 in Consuelo, Dominican Republic. Consuelo, which has ten programs for youths to learn and play baseball, is about 50 miles east of Santo Domingo. Of the ten programs, two provide housing for the players. One of which is Latin Baseball Academy, which was set up ten months ago by Luis Silvestre, a taxi driver in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Georgia Tech softball team opened up their 2018 season on Friday against Lipscomb and Florida A&M.

The Aileen Morales era of Georgia Tech softball did not get off to the start that Morales would’ve hoped for. The Yellow Jackets opened up their 2018 season on Friday playing their first two games in the Sand Dollar Classic facing off against Lipscomb and Florida A&M.

vs Lipscomb:1-0 Loss (8 innings)

In their first game of the season, the Jackets took on the Lipscomb Bisons. The Jackets sent senior Emily Anderson to the mound to face off against Lipscomb junior Mandy Jordan. The Jackets first game of the season was a pitching duel as the score indicates. In total, the two teams had just seven hits.

The store of the game however was the dominance of Lipscomb’s Mandy Jordan. Jordan all day allowed the Jackets to muster two hits. The Jackets simply couldn’t hit the junior pitcher who struck out 17 of the 31 batters she faced over eight innings.

While Anderson didn’t strike out 17, she had her own strong pitching performance despite picking up the loss. Anderson allowed just five hits and two walks while striking out five Bisons.

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The game would stay scoreless through seven innings. With extra innings, there is a rule of placing a runner on second base to start the inning. The Jackets weren’t able to capitalize with a runner in scoring position.

In the bottom of the inning, Anderson recorded two quick outs before allowing a game-winning double to junior third baseman Sarah Higgins.

vs Florida A&M: 8-6 Loss

In their second game of the day, the Jackets took on the Florida A&M Rattlers. The Rattlers earlier in the day fell to Virginia Tech. With both teams looking to bounce back from losses and not start 0-2, the bats came alive on both sides.

Naomi Dickerson was the starter for the Yellow Jackets while Veronica Burse took the mound for the Rattlers. The freshman lasted just 2.1 innings in her first career start allowing six earned runs on eight hits. For the Jackets, the 6-0 hole they found themselves in heading into the bottom of the third was too much to overcome.

The Jackets bats would try to climb back into the game starting in the third, tacking on three runs. A&M would score runs in the fourth and the fifth while the Jackets were held scoreless until the bottom of the seventh.

Heading into the final half inning, the Jackets needed five runs to tie and six to win. The Jackets valiantly tried to get back into the game but ultimately got just three runs in the inning losing 8-6.

Next Up:

The Jackets will take on Lamar and Penn State on Saturday as they look for their first win of the season.