Softball off to a quick start in ACC

The Jackets softball team opened up ACC play this past week against Virginia and Maryland. Tech won five out of six of those games to start off the ACC schedule on a roll.

Tech has won three out of their last five games and have moved in to the top 25 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll as the No. 25 team in the country.

However, the softball team faltered against Texas in two straight games. They lost in Austin 1-0 in the first game and 5-3 in the second game.

On Wednesday, they hosted No. 11 archrival Georgia, going in as the No. 25 ranked team in the country.

The Jackets split the two games with Georgia. The Jackets won the first game 6-4, while losing the second game 15-7.

Tech’s record now stands at 29-10 overall, and 5-1 in the ACC.

Freshman Whitney Haller, from Marietta, Ga., picked up her first win of the season by pitching three innings of relief. In her relief appearance, she allowed just three hits, one earned run, and one walk.

Senior left fielder Amy Hosier, a native of Lakewood, Colo., was 1-3 with a run scored, a home run, and two runs driven in. Hosier’s home run was her fourth of the season.

Junior right fielder Caitlin Lever, out of Amherst, New York, was 2-3, with two runs scored, and one run driven in. Lever also hit her fourth home run of the season.

Senior shortstop Christine Sheridan, a native of Pasadena, Md., was 2-4, with a triple, a home run, and three RBI’s.

Sophomore Savannah Brown, from El Cajon, Calif., was 1-3 with a home run, one run scored, and two RBI’s.

In the second game, the Bulldogs picked up five runs in the top of the third inning as well as five more in the top of the fifth.

Junior pitcher Sarah Wood, out of Marietta, Ga., was unable to keep her string of good pitching performances going as she surrendered six earned runs, six hits, and one walk in three innings pitched.

The Jackets returned home this past weekend to face off against the Cavaliers of Virginia. The Jackets took two out of three games from the Cavs.

In game one, the Jackets won 10-2. Brown had a good day at the plate going 2-3, with one run scored, one walk, and two runs driven in.

In the second game of the double-header, the Jackets defeated Virginia 7-4. Wood regained her original form after having a difficult game against the Longhorns.

Against UVa, she pitched six innings allowing six hits, four runs (only one earned), and two walks.

Haller went 2-3 at the plate with 3 RBI’s.

In the last game of the series, Virginia edged Tech 5-4.

Hosier went 2-2, with one run scored, and one run driven in.

After this the Jackets played three road games in the state of Texas. They played the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas March 21st and defeated the Lady Bears 8-0.

Wood continued her streak of good pitching by hurling five strong innings, allowing only two hits and one walk. She did not surrender any runs, and also struck out three.

Brown went 2-4 at the plate with two doubles, one homer, one run scored, and four runs driven in.

Freshman Blair Shimandle, a native of LaGrange, Ga., stepped up her performance in this game by going 2-3 at the plate, with one home run, two runs scored, and one RBI.

On March 22nd, the Jackets softball team faced off against No. 3 Texas in Austin. They were unable to get the bats going as they were shut out 1-0 in game one, and lost 5-3 in game two.

In game one, the Jackets were shut down by the combination of Meagan Denny and Cat Osterman.

Denny pitched three innings allowing only one hit, and three walks, while striking out four.

Osterman, a member of the U.S. national team, pitched four innings striking out nine batters.

In game two, the Jackets were able to get onto the scoreboard three times against Meagan Denny. However, it was not enough to defeat the Longhorns.

Hosier had the most noteworthy performance of the game. She went 1-2 with a walk, and three runs batted in.

Wood pitched six strong innings and allowed four hits, one earned run, two walks and struck out four, but was the tough luck loser in the shutout.

The Jackets started off their conference play against the Maryland Terrapins. In the first game of that series, they won 4-1.

Brown, a native of El Cajon, Calif., was 2-3 in the game, scoring one run, and driving in two more. Hosier was 1-3, with a double, a run scored, and a RBI.

In the second game of the series, Tech shut out Maryland 9-0 in six innings, winning by the mercy rule.

Wood threw five innings, giving up only one hit, while not allowing any runs or walks, and stuck out five.

In the final game of the series, Tech swept the Terps with a 5-1 victory.

Haller had a standout performance in this game by going 2-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and three runs driven in.

Lever was 1-3, with a home run, one run scored, and one run driven in. Wood had another noteworthy performance by pitching four innings while allowing three hits, one run, and striking out two.

Over the break, Haller was 8-for-24 (.333) as she scored eleven runs, had six RBIs, hit three doubles, two home runs, and stole two bases.

On the mound, she tossed 10.2 innings and did not allow a single run to cross the plate. She also struck out three batters, did not walk anyone and picked up three saves in the process.

The Tech softball team will travel to Tallahassee, Florida to face off against the Florida State Seminoles this weekend.

The Seminoles are 25-15 on the season, and 3-3 in the ACC. The Jackets will play a double-header on Saturday that starts at 1 p.m.