Box Score
WOODSTOCK, GA- The Winthrop softball team opened up the Buzz Classic against the host team, #25 Georgia Tech, and battled hard but, were fell 5-0.
With the loss, the Eagles suffered their fifth straight loss and dropped to 5-9 on the year. The Yellow Jackets improved to 9-8.
“We out played them the whole game except the fifth inning,” said Winthrop head coach
Mark Cooke. “They got the hits they needed and scored the runs they needed. Otherwise, this was a great ball game.”
The majority of the Yellow Jackets' offense came in the fifth inning. The inning started with an infield hit by Chelsie Thomas. She stole second base and advanced to third on a bunt single by Ashley Thomas who also stole second base. With runners at second and third base with no outs, Cooke replaced
Chelsey Schoenfeldt with
Natalie Becker. Becker started her appearance by hitting Kate Kuzma with a pitch, loading the bases. Rudnik followed Kuzma and delivered a double to left center scoring three runs, making the score 4-0. She then stole third base on a wild pitch and scored the Yellow Jackets' last run of the game on a passed ball.
Schoenfeldt started the game for the Eagles on the mound and held the Yellow Jackets to just one hit in the first three innings of the game. The troubles for the Eagles started in the fourth inning when Kuzma was hit by the pitch and then stole second base. Alysha Rudnik followed Kuzma with a walk putting runners on first and second for Hope Rush. Rush delivered a single to center field to score Kuzma and advance Rudnik to third. Schoenfeldt got two infield ground balls and a strike out to end the inning.
The Eagles' offense was held to just three hits on the day. Their two best opportunities to score came in the fourth and fifth innings.
Schoenfeldt started the fourth inning with a walk. Paige Hartfield pinch ran for her and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Melanie Andrea. Hartfield advanced to third base on a wild pitch and
Alex White was walked, putting runners on the corners for
Taylor Wright. Wright lined out to third base and White was thrown out trying to steal second base to end the inning for the Eagles.
In the 5
th inning,
Megan Chapman reached base on a fielder's choice and stole second base.
McKenzi Corn hit a shot to center field that should have scored Chapman but Georgia Tech's center fielder, Shannon Bear made a great play and threw Chapman out at home.
“We got the bunts down when we needed to but we needed the timely hits to drive in runs,” said Cooke. “Corn got the hit we needed but their center fielder made a great play. Throwing out Chapman at home might have turned the tide in their favor.”
The Eagles will face Alabama State at 11 a.m. and Furman at 1 p.m. If it is raining, the Eagles will play Furman at 3 p.m. at Kennesaw State University's softball field.
