Softball Completes Series Sweep of GT in Thrilling Fashion

Sunday, April 6

Raleigh, N.C.

12:00 PM

NC State

21-18, 5-6

Georgia Tech

17-25, 2-8

Georgia Tech

NC State

Softball Completes Series Sweep of GT in Thrilling Fashion

4/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. A six-run, seven-hit avalanche of Wolfpack offense gave NC State a come-from-behind 9-6 win over Georgia Tech, completing an ACC series sweep at the Curtis & Jacqueline Dail Softball Stadium on Sunday, April 6. The win moves the Pack to 22-18 (6-6 ACC), while the Yellow Jackets fall to 17-26 (2-9 ACC).

"I'm really pleased with the way that the team played this weekend," said head coach Lisa Navas. "These three ACC wins are big, and I'm especially proud of the way we earned the last one today. We had different people stepping up all weekend in different situations, and that's what you like to see as the season progresses."

Four red and white players, Ashleigh Davis, Alyssa Allbritten, Kristine Bechtholdt and Alyssa Ishibashi, sprayed two hits each. Bechtholdt, Ishibashi and Claudia Cooper all had two RBIs, while Ishibashi doubled twice.

Allbritten set a new school record for doubles in a single season with her 14th two-bagger on the year in the bottom of the sixth. Her feat surpasses the old school standard set by Heather Gelbard’s 13 in 2004.

Mendy McKenzie (11-5) picked up her second win of the day, this time in relief. Lindsay Campana started the affair, lasting 3.2 innings while allowing three earned runs on five hits.

GT’s Emily Schreck (4-3) suffered the loss, allowing nine earned runs and 12 hits.

The Pack took a 2-0 lead immediately on a Bechtholdt jack in the bottom of the first. Allbritten pushed a two-out single through the left side, and Bechtholdt took a Schreck pitch over the fence in left-center for her sixth homer of the season.

The lead was short lived however, as GT evened the playing field in the top of the second. Brittany Barnes beat out an infield single to short and Blair Shimandle drew a walk. Whitney Haller then loaded the bases on an E6, and Jessica Weaver pushed a two-run single up the middle to knot the score.

State resumed its lead in the bottom half of the frame. Allison Presnell singled up the middle and Bridget Desbois nearly sent one over the fence in left, but Christy Jones made an impressive leaping grab at the warning track. Ishibashi followed by belting a double to nearly the same location, but this one stayed inside the park and Jones couldn’t bring it down, allowing Presnell to score from first.

Barnes evened the score again with solo home run to right-center in the top of the third, and Weaver put the Yellow Jackets back on top with a one-run dinger in the top of the fourth. McKenzie relieved Campana shortly thereafter.

Savannah Brown set a new ACC record for career RBIs with a two-run blooper to center in the top of the sixth, moving the score to 6-3. She now has 182 RBIs during her stint in Atlanta.

In each game of the series State had been getting one big offensive inning. This time it came in the bottom of the sixth, with all six runs crossing the plate with two outs.

Bechtholdt singled up the middle, and Eliza Jacobellis came on to run in her place eventually moving to third on a groundout from Mackenzie Mangum and a Presnell fly ball to the warning track in right. Desbois then lined a base hit into left, scoring Jacobellis, and Krystal Hawkins came on to run at first. Ishibashi followed with another double into the left-center gap, bringing Hawkins in all the way from first.

Cooper then came up big, destroying a Schreck pitch that landed on the scoreboard for a mammoth two-run blast, giving State the lead at 7-6. It wasn’t over however, as Shanna Smith followed Cooper’s act with a solo home run to nearly the same location.

GT’s troubles didn’t end there. Davis kept the offense rolling with a base hit into right, later scoring when Allbritten launched her record-breaking double into the left-center gap.

"We challenged the players in the middle of the sixth, and they stepped up to the plate with timely hitting and the right approach," said Navas. "It was a total team effort."

Throughout the series the Pack hit eight home runs total, hitting back-to-back shots three times.

State will return to the field with two games at Radford this coming Tuesday, April 8. The non-conference double dip is schedule to kick off at 3 p.m.