Fifth-Inning Rally Paces Softball Past GT, 8-3

Saturday, April 5

Raleigh, N.C.

1:00 PM

NC State

20-18, 4-6

Georgia Tech

17-24, 2-7

Georgia Tech

NC State

4/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. Six runs and four hits capped a fifth-inning rally to push NC State past Georgia Tech, 8-3, in the first game of a three-game conference series at the Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium on Saturday, April 5. The win moves the Pack to 20-18 (4-6 ACC), while the Yellow Jackets slip to 17-24 (2-7 ACC).

Kristine Bechtholdt led the way offensively for the red and white, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Claudia Cooper and Bridget Desbois each added two RBIs of their own.

Linsday Campana (11-13) earned the complete game win in the circle, striking out four and allowing six hits. Emily Schreck (4-2) took the loss in relief for GT, allowing four hits and six runs, two earned, in 2.2 innings of work.

Aileen Morales drew a leadoff walk to start the game, but was eventually gunned down by Alyssa Allbritten while attempting to swipe third. It was the first time Morales, who had been a perfect 32-for-32 on the base paths, had been caught stealing all season.

Morales smacked a two-run homer over the fence in left-center to give GT a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Christy Jones dropped a bunt, stole second and came around on the long ball.

Bechtholdt and Cooper erased the Yellow Jackets lead with back-to-back solo blasts in the bottom of the fourth. GT head coach Sharon Perkins quickly put the hook on starting pitcher Whitney Humphreys, replacing her with Schreck. In all Humphreys gave up four hits and two runs in 3.1 innings of duty.

Bechtholdt’s dinger stands as her fifth on the year, tying her for the team lead, while Cooper’s was the very first of her career.

The game totally changed in the bottom of the fifth with the Pack putting a six spot on the scoreboard as the Yellow Jackets committed a costly error early on and suffered from some control issues in the circle. Bair Harkey reached on a fielder’s choice, and Shanna Smith followed with another fielder’s choice back to second. But Amanda Crow dropped Morales’ throw to the bag, allowing Smith and Harkey to both reach safely. Ashleigh Davis then dropped a bunt towards third, and reached without anyone covering first.

State took its first lead of the game at 3-2 when Allbritten drew a walk with the bases loaded, and Bechtholdt followed with a base hit into center to score Smith. Schreck then hit Cooper with a pitch, bringing in another run, and Desbois later blopped a two-RBI single into shallow right. Lauren Peters kept the offense chugging, lacing a single up the middle to score Allison Presnell from third.

Georgia Tech got a run on a two-out liner down the left line from Brittany Barnes in the top of the sixth, but Davis gunned her down at second trying to stretch her single into a double.

With the dicey weather forecast projected for the rest of the evening, changes have been made to the remainder of the series. The two teams will call it a day and resume play with two games tomorrow, Sunday, April 6. State and Georgia Tech will get started at 12 noon with the second contest to follow around 2 p.m.