The Georgia Tech softball team’s early season struggles continued on Friday night to begin the ACC/Big Ten Challenge as the Jackets fell to Nebraska 4-2.
After a disappointing opening weekend that saw the Georgia Tech softball team go 1-3 to start the season, the Yellow Jackets looked to improve their record with a pair of Big Ten foes coming to Atlanta. Up first on the Yellow Jackets agenda would be the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The Yellow Jackets grabbed an early 1-0 leading in the first inning when junior centerfielder Cameron Stanford drove in freshman catcher Emma Kauf. The Huskers would get on back in the second inning on a fielders choice but the Jackets reclaimed the lead just an inning later when Stanford picked up her second RBI, this time on a double, scoring junior Breanna Roper.
Sophomore Lexi Ray got the start for the Yellow Jackets and put together in her second start of the season. Ray, pitched six innings of work against the Huskers, allowing just two runs on six hits and a pair of walks. She also struck out five.
Sophomore Palmer Pinholster would come in for relief of Ray in the seventh and would struggle. In two-thirds of an inning, Pinholster allowed two runs on three walks and one hit. After allowing a run on a sacrifice fly by Nebraska’s Keana Pola, Pinholster threw a wild pitch allowing an additional run to come across the plate. Senior Brooke Barfield was able to relief Pinholster and stop any the bleeding but for the Jackets it was too late.
The Jackets offense would come up empty in the bottom of the seventh, being shutout in the final four innings and would take the 4-2 loss. It drops their record to 1-4 on the season while Nebraska improves to 4-2.
For the Jackets, Friday’s loss is another disappointing setback early in 2020. The Jackets offense has yet to really get it going this year, scoring just 17 runs in their five games and five of those came in one game. While the pitching has been stellar either, allowing 29 runs already this season, the Yellow Jackets must find their groove quickly in both areas or the beginning of their season could get get ugly quick.
The Yellow Jackets will look for revenge against the Cornhuskers on Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m..