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No. 20 Georgia Tech Snaps No. 12 Tar Heels Streak
April 25, 2009 | Softball
April 25, 2009
ATLANTA - A four-run fifth inning helped No. 20 Georgia Tech (36-13, 13-3 ACC) end No. 12 North Carolina's (44-8, 15-3 ACC) 23-game winning streak as the Yellow Jackets claimed a 6-0 win in Atlanta Saturday afternoon in game one of a doubleheader. The Tar Heels will look to bounce back right away with the top seed in the ACC tournament is on the line.
The Tar Heels moved a runner to second in the top of the second after Brittany McKinney led off the inning with a single through the left side. Dani Manko came on to run for McKinney and advanced to second when Emily Troup dropped down a sacrifice bunt but the Tar Heels were unable to come up with the clutch hit as Manko was stranded at second.
Georgia Tech put a pair of runners on in the bottom of the third with two outs but starter Danielle Spaulding was able to force a foul out to end the inning and put the Tar Heels back up to bat. Following a fly out to center Whitney Allen and Brittany McKinney tallied back-to-back singles to get a rally going. A passed ball moved the runners up 60 feet but a grounder back to the pitcher and a strikeout would end the threat for Carolina.
The Yellow Jackets grabbed the momentum in the bottom of the fourth when with two outs in the inning pitcher Kristen Adkins drilled a pitch over the scoreboard in left field to put Georgia Tech in front 2-0.
Georgia Tech tacked on another pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run single back up the middle after Spaulding retired the opening two batters of the frame. Jen Yee drew a two-out walk, her third of the game, before a hard hit ball by Blair Shimandle moved Yee to third on the single. Kelsi Weseman tallied a single back up the middle to plate both Yee and Shimandle.
Whitney Haller delivered the big blow with her 11th home run of the season over the left field fence pushing Georgia Tech's lead to 6-0 after five.
Constance Orr came on to provide an inning and a third of scoreless relief but the Tar Heels were unable to mount a comeback dropping their first game in 24 opportunities.
