The Georgia Tech softball team swept a double header on Saturday to take a series from the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Game 1: 4-2 Loss
The Yellow Jackets hosted the ACC coastal leading Tar Heels this weekend and game 1 went the way of Carolina. The Jackets jumped out to a lead in the 2nd inning off a RBI double from Lilly Hooper to score Kelsey Chisholm. North Carolina would respond in the 4th loading the bases with 1 out. A hit batter would tie the game, then a 2 RBI double and RBI squeeze bunt gave the Tar Heels a 4-1 lead. The Jackets tried to rally in the 6th when Cameron Stanford hit a solo shot to cut the lead to 4-2. The Jackets couldn’t tally any more offense however and fell 4-2. This game got Lilly Hooper going, and another freshman Cameron Stanford hit her 7th home run of the season.
Game 2: 5-2 Win
The Jackets faced another series with a Saturday double header due to weather, in game 1 of the double header fell behind in the 3rd when Carolina scored 2 runs but the Jackets responded in the bottom of the inning with a home run from Draven Sonnon to cut the lead to 2-1. Then in the 5th the Jackets took the lead with RBIs from Becca Prairie and Crosby Huckabay. Draven Sonnon would hit in a run with a triple in the 6th to give the Jackets a 5-2 lead, which would be the final score.
Game 3: 6-5 Win
The Jackets coming off a win in game 1 of the double header the Jackets once again fell behind when Carolina plated 3 runs to open the 1st inning. The Jackets offense responded however, as Lilly Hooper came up with a big hit again scoring 2. Cameron Stanford would later draw a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 3. The Tar Heels came back and hit back to back home runs off of Brooke Barfield to retake the lead 5-3. But once again the Jackets offense came back as Prairie hit a clutch 2 run triple to tie the game then senior Katie Krzus came in and gave the Jackets a 6-5 lead with a RBI single. Emily Anderson pitched the final 1.2 innings of the game and kept Carolina off the board to give Tech the series with a 6-5 win.
This is exactly the kind of series win the Jackets needed after a long road stretch. Everything that needed to happen, happened the Jackets played solid clean defense, and their pitchers kept the team in the game. Coach Morales has been saying week after week that the timely hit will come, and this weekend it came in plenty. Lilly Hooper really got hot this weekend, that along with senior Draven Sonnon stepping up in big situations lead to a series win.
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I was once again impressed with Brooke Barfield who did give up back to back home runs but pitch 3.1 innings and only gave up 3 hits. The Jackets need her confident going forward. Any innings they can take off of Emily Anderson’s hands towards the end of the season is a bonus.
The Jackets really need her fresh for the ACC tournament. Up next for the Jackets is a midweek match up at Jacksonville State on Tuesday at 6:00.