May 4, 2013
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Georgia Tech softball team (24-29, 9-10 ACC) blasted six home runs en route to a doubleheader sweep over Boston College (14-36, 2-18) Saturday afternoon at Shea Softball Field. Junior Alysha Rudnik went 4-for-7 with five RBI and two home runs to lead Georgia Tech past the Eagles, 12-3 (6) and 10-5.
The Yellow Jackets go for the series sweep and their 15-straight win against the Eagles in the series finale set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
“I think we’ve been looking good in practice,” head coach Sharon Perkins said. “I think the second time through the lineup really got things going. It was two pitchers we had never really seen before in both games.
“ I think Alysha Rudnik had a phenomenal day. She got up there and was clutch for us a couple of times. She really was hitting the ball hard all day long and was pretty amazing to watch. We went deep quite a few times today.”
Game 1 – Georgia Tech 12, Boston College 3
After Boston College jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Georgia Tech bats got hot in the third inning. Hayley Downs led off the inning with a walk. Rudnik and Hope Rush followed that with back-to-back jacks to score three runs. Morgan Taylor then walked and scored on an RBI-double off the bat of Katie Johnsky.
Rush’s home run marked her team-leading 17th on the season and 60th of her career. She is one long ball away from tying the all-time career record at Georgia Tech set by Whitney Haller (2006-09).
Tech tacked on five runs in the fourth inning when Rudnik blasted her second long ball of the game for three runs and Johnsky roped her fifth bomb on the season – a two-run homer to left.
Courtney Ziese capped off the scoring for Georgia Tech with her eighth round-tripper of the season in the sixth inning that plated Rush and Taylor.
The last time Georgia Tech hit five home runs in a single game was April 23, 2011 at Virginia in a 9-0 victory. Rudnik is just the second player this season to hit two home runs in a game and the fourth player to total eight bases in a game.
Hope Rush (13-14) picked up the victory, throwing six innings with three runs on six hits.
Chelsea Dimon (10-14) suffered the loss, allowing 12 runs on nine hits in six innings pitched.
Game 2 – Georgia Tech 10, Boston College 5
The Jackets wasted little time getting on the board in the second game with two runs in the opening stanza, but it was a six-run third inning that broke the game open.
Rudnik singled to lead things off, Rush was intentionally walked and Johnsky laced a single to left field to load the bases with nobody out. Taylor reached on a fielder’s choice and Rudnik was out on the force play at home.
With the bases loaded and one out, Ziese smoked a two-RBI single to right center to score Delashmit, running for Rush, and Johnsky. Taylor then scored on a throwing error by the Boston College shortstop, giving Tech a 5-1 lead.
Maddie Lionberger stepped to the plate to pinch hit with runners on the corners and blasted a three-run homer to left center, giving Tech an 8-3 lead.
The Jackets added a run in the sixth when Taylor’s single scored Rudnik and Ashley Thomas scored in the seventh.
The Eagles put together a short rally with two runs in the seventh inning on solo shots from Alana DiMaso and Maria Pandolfo.
Kylie Kleinschmidt (6-7) earned the win and surrendered five runs on six hits in a complete-game effort.
Stephanie Lord (2-14) absorbed the loss and allowed 10 runs on 12 hits in seven innings.
