Courtesy: Boston University Athletic Communications
ATLANTA, Ga. - The Boston University softball team (41-17) battled No. 14 Georgia Tech (44-13) through five scoreless innings, however a five-run outburst in the sixth frame gave the Yellow Jackets a 5-1 victory over the Terriers on the first day of the NCAA Atlanta Regional. Senior Shayne Lotito scored BU's lone run, while junior hurler Cassidi Hardy went the distance in the circle with six strikeouts. BU will now play Iowa on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The Terriers need to beat the Hawkeyes in order to remain in the double-elimination tournament.
It was a pitchers' duel through the first five innings, until sophomore April Setterlund broke up the scoreless deadlock with an RBI single that plated Lotito. In the bottom half of the frame, the Yellow Jackets broke open the game with five runs on three hits.
In the first, Georgia Tech's Jessica Coan struck out all three batters she faced to get the momentum swung in the home team's favor. Not to be outdone, the Terriers' defense held up as freshman Emily Roesch, the 2009 AE Rookie of the Year, snagged a line drive to her right to get the first out; a fly out to left field kept any runners off base and Hardy ended the frame with her first strikeout of the game.
In the second, Coan recorded another strike out, but two ground outs kept BU scoreless and the Terriers returned the favor in the bottom half of the frame, retiring all three Yellow Jackets in order. In the third, it was much of the same as the pitcher's duel continued with Hardy striking out two and forcing a line out to end the inning.
Senior Melissa Dubay broke up Coan's no-hit bid with a double to right center on the first pitch in the fourth with two outs. On the next at-bat, senior Christy Leath battled with Coan but a foul out ended the Terriers' first threat of the game. Georgia Tech responded in the fourth when Blair Shimandle laid down a perfect bunt that allowed her to get to first; however, Hudson fielded the last play of the inning when Whitney Haller grounded out to third.
Roesch recorded a two-out single to center field in the top of the fifth, but a hard throw from Georgia Tech's shortstop Tiffany Johnson just beat out sophomore Caitlin Rentler at first to end the top half of the fifth.
The Yellow Jackets' Kristen Adkins led off the bottom of the fifth with a bunt single and Jessica Weaver got on base when she was hit by a pitch. With runners on first and second, senior Brooke Hudson turned a double play to end the inning with a hard throw to first after getting Adkins out at third.
Setterlund broke the scoreless deadlock in the sixth with an RBI single up the middle that plated Lotito, who had reached on a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Dubay drew the ensuing walk to put base runners on first and second, but a pop up and strike out contained the damage for Georgia Tech.
In the sixth, Georgia Tech put runners on second and third for the first time all game when Jen Yee doubled to right center and it scored on the next at-bat when Blair Shimandle reached on a fielder's choice and Christy Jones escaped a tag at home. Georgia Tech tacked on one more on an RBI single by Whitney Haller. The Yellow Jackets extended their lead with a three-run homer by Kristen Adkins to move the score to 5-1.
The Terriers did not go down with out a fight, however, as Hudson, a senior co-captain, singled to left field and advanced to second on a passed ball in the top of the seventh, but Coan retired the final two batters to secure the victory.
First pitch with Iowa is set for 3:30 p.m. on Saturday (May 16) at Mewborn Field.