April 27, 2008

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

ATLANTA, Ga. - Georgia Tech used two home runs to defeat the University of Maryland softball team, 4-2, after the game was halted in the middle of the sixth inning on Saturday because of rain and lightning, but was finished Sunday afternoon. In the series finale, Georgia Tech's Jessica Weaver hit a home run to left field in the sixth inning to give the Yellow Jackets a 4-3 victory. Maryland drops to 34-18 and 6-12 in Atlantic Coast Conference play while Georgia Tech improves to 30-28 and 9-11 in ACC play.

After Maryland's Alex Schultz and Brittany Bessho singled in the top of the seventh inning of the second game, the Terps loaded the bases when Breanna Shaw walked, but Meghan Booth popped out to end the game.

Maryland starter Sarah Dooley hit three Georgia Tech batters in the first inning, but pitched her way out of a big inning by popping up Brittany Barnes and inducing Amanda Crow to groundout to Devon Williams at third base.

Georgia Tech's Stephanie Butler and Christy Jones reached on infield singles in the second inning before Blair Shimandle tripled to left-center field and scored on an errant throw by Alex Schultz.

In the fourth inning, Maryland junior Shaw hit her first home run in a Maryland uniform over the scoreboard in left-center field to cut the GT lead to two.

The Terps tied the ballgame in the fifth when Shaw doubled down the left-field line with the bases loaded to score Niki Lau and Alex Schultz.

Shaw finished the game 3-for-3 with three RBI and a walk, while Lau went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Dooley (15-13) finished with three strikeouts in a losing effort for the Terps. Georgia Tech starter Whitney Humphreys (18-14) scattered eight hits but earned the victory for the Yellow Jackets.

Senior Jenny Belak walked to lead off the game that begun on Saturday and advanced on an Alex Schultz sacrifice bunt. Brittany Bessho singled to score Belak to give the Terps a 1-0 lead. It was Belak's 114th run of her career, moving her into fourth place all-time.

In the top of the third inning, Bessho stepped up with two outs and rocked a 1-1 pitch from Georgia Tech starter Tiffany Johnson over the right-field fence to extend the Terps lead to two.

Georgia Tech fought back in the bottom of the third when Haller hit her 49th home run of her career, tying her with Jen Chamberlain from NC State for the most career home runs in ACC history.

Weaver hit her ninth home run of the season off of Maryland starter Lindsey Wright in the fourth inning to give Georgia Tech the lead, 3-2. GT added another in the fifth on a Savannah Brown RBI groundout that scored Morales.

Wright allowed three hits in four innings pitched, but took the loss to drop to 5-2. Sarah Dooley pitched two scoreless innings for the Terps. Johnson (5-4) struck out one and allowed two runs for the victory. Humphreys came on after the restart to pitch a scoreless seventh for her second save of the year.

The Terps return to action Wednesday when they travel to face Towson in a doubleheader starting 3 p.m.

Maryland	101 000 0   2 5 0
Georgia Tech	002 110 X   4 4 0

Lindsey Wright, Sarah Dooley (5) and Brittany Bessho; Tiffany Johnson, Whitney Humphreys (7) and Jessica Weaver. W - Johnson, 5-4. L - Wright, 5-2. S - Humphreys, 2. HR - Bessho (5), Whitney Haller (10), Jessica Weaver (9).

Maryland (34-18)	000 120 1   3 8 2
Georgia Tech (30-28)	030 001 X   4 7 0

Sarah Dooley and Brittany Bessho; Whitney Humphreys and Savannah Brown. W - Humphreys, 18-14. L - Dooley, 15-13. HR - Breanna Shaw (1), Jessica Weaver (10).