May 16, 2009
Atlanta, Ga. - The top-seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets broke a tie game with three runs in the fourth inning to defeat third-seeded Auburn 4-1 in the second round of the NCAA Atlanta Regional in softball action Saturday.
Auburn (30-28) will now await the winner of the Iowa vs. Boston University game. The Tigers will play that winner in an elimination game late Saturday night, with the game beginning 25 minutes after the conclusion of the Iowa vs. Boston game. No game can start after midnight, but can go past if started one minute or more prior to midnight.
"You have to give Georgia Tech credit, they were just better than we were in this game," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "They made adjustments and were able to push across a few runs. Now we have to come right back and get after it in a late game."
Rain delayed the start of the game by five and a half hours, going from a 1 p.m. ET start to a 6:30 p.m. start.
Anna Thompson took the loss to fall to 15-16. Thompson allowed four runs, all earned, on five hits in 3.2 innings of work. Thompson fanned five and did not issue a walk.
Kristen Adkins earned the win to move to 24-7. Adkins allowed one run, earned, on four hits with three strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
The Tigers took an early lead, plating a run in the first inning. After a one-out walk to Lindsey Harrelson, Tatiana Fernandez laced a double to the wall in right-center to put runners on second and third. Kyndall White followed with a ground out to short that failed to advance the runners.
On a 1-2 pitch to Elizabeth Eisterhold, Adkins uncorked a wild pitch that bounced to the backstop and allowed Harrelson to score from third to give Auburn a 1-0 lead. Adkins worked out of the jam when Eisterhold flied out to left for the third out of the inning.
Georgia Tech tied the game in the top of the third inning when Jen Yee hit a two-out, solo home run over the wall in right field. It was Yee's 13th home run of the season and came on a 1-1 pitch.
The Yellow Jackets captured the lead an inning later. With one out in the top of the fourth, Tiffany Johnson singled and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Adkins then brought Johnson home with a double to the wall in left-center to give Georgia Tech a 2-1 edge.
One batter later, Jessica Weaver made it a 4-1 Tech lead with a two-run home run that bounced off the top of the wall in left. It was Weaver's fourth home run of the season and came on a 1-2 pitch from Thompson.
That would be all Adkins would need as she limited the Tigers to three hits over the final four inning of play.