Softball achieves berth into NCAAs

Today, the Jackets enter their sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament in Gainesville when they face off against the Texas Longhorns at 3:30 p.m. The team finished the season 53-14 and have won 19 out of their last 20 games.

Leading up to their run to the NCAA championship in Oklahoma City, the Jackets had to take their best shot at an ACC title. Tech went into the conference tournament hosted by Florida State with a 14-6 conference record that was good enough to get the No. 4 seed. In order to improve their odds of getting a No. 2 or even a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Jackets needed to perform well in the ACC Tournament.

The team did just that by winning four out of the five games in the ACC tournament, with the sole loss coming against the No.1 seeded Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC championship game last Sunday.

In the championship game, Tech faced off against one of the top pitchers in the country, Angela Tincher. Tincher did not disappoint as she hurled a complete game three-hit shutout from the circle to down the Jackets 2-0. Tech was doomed from the beginning as Jackets' starter Sarah Wood struggled to find the strike zone in the 2nd inning.

After Hokies third baseman Kelsey Rokey hit a two-run blast over the center field fence, Wood's afternoon came to an early end with the following stat line: 1 and 1/3 innings pitched, three hits, two earned runs, two walks and no strikeouts. Tiffany Johnson came on in relief and pitched 4 and 2/3 innings of shutout relief, but the damage was already too much.

Leading up to the championship game, the Jackets played well in their four victories. Friday, Tech led off with Maryland and defeated them 5-1. Starter Sarah Wood threw six innings from the circle, giving up just one run on four hits and three walks. She also struck out three and gave way to Tiffany Johnson in the seventh inning. Johnson closed the door on the Terrapins with a 1-2-3 inning.

At the plate, first baseman Whitney Haller's 15th home run of the season in the first inning set the tone for the game. She got on base in three out of four plate appearances, scoring twice and driving in two runs.

In game two for Tech, the Jackets faced off against the surprise of the ACC tournament, Boston College. In order to advance to this game, the No. 7 seeded Eagles had to upend the No. 2 seeded N.C. State Wolfpack. Tech ended the Eagles' chances at a Cinderella run with a 4-0 shutout, however.

Starter Whitney Humphreys went the distance in allowing just one hit and four walks while fanning six batters. While Humphreys dominated the Eagles' lineup, the Jackets did not score until the fourth inning when Kristina Hull took a walk with loaded bases to drive in a run.

Tech would go on to score runs in each of the next three innings, with a home run from Jennifer Yee in the fifth, a double from Brittany Barnes in the sixth and a run scored in the seventh off of an error made by Eagles third baseman Katrina Vazquez.

In order to advance to the ACC championship from there, Tech had to get through the host, Florida State.

The tone of this game was decided early on as both teams scored in the first inning. The Jackets gave up their first lead of the tournament when Seminoles shortstop Yuruby Alicart doubled to left center and gave FSU the 1-0 lead. Tech quickly retook that lead in the bottom half of the inning when Caitlin Lever hit a three-run homer to right field.

Florida State never got closer than two runs to Tech as the Jackets put up two more runs on the scoreboard in both the fourth and fifth innings. Starter Whitney Humphreys was taken out of the game in the third inning after she hit a batter on a bad pitch.

Sarah Wood came on in relief, pitching 3 and 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on two hits to go along with three walks; it was enough to earn the victory.

Tiffany Johnson picked up her second save of the tournament by throwing 1 and 1/3 innings of shutout softball.