March 17, 2001

Box Score

ATLANTA, Ga. - Samford's Brianne Mertens had a perfect game through five innings of the second game but Samford's bats never woke up as the Bulldogs dropped both games of a double header at Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Georgia Tech's (14-10) pitching duo of Tiffany Goodman and Erin Voeltz held Samford (12-19) to just eight hits on the afternoon. The Lady Jackets pounded out 11 hits in the first game to win 3-0. In the second game, Georgia Tech could only manage two hits but they were enough to plate two runs in a 2-0 win.

Tech's Tasha Waugh hit a two-run home run to straight away center field in the bottom of the first inning of game one off Erin Landsburg (3-7) to give the Jackets a 2-0 lead. The Lady Jackets added another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Waugh who went 1-2 with all three RBI. Goodman (7-4) pitched 6.1 innings giving up five hits and walking two batters.

Samford mounted a threat in the top of the seventh as the Bulldogs loaded the bases with just one out. Tech went to the bullpen to bring Voeltz into the game. Voeltz got Rebekah Phillips to strike out and Michelle Ashley to ground out to end the game.

Game two was a terrific pitching duel between Voeltz (6-6) and Mertens (8-9). Voeltz struggled with her control, walking four batters but struck out eight Bulldogs over seven innings. Mertens did not allow anything until the bottom of the sixth inning when Tech's Soraya Reddick hit a Texas-leaguer into short center field for Tech's first hit. After a strikeout, Sara Weissman reached on a fielder's choice as Samford tried for a force out of Reddick at second base. Both runners were safe. After a walk loaded the bases, Ellen Styer hit a clean single past shortstop to score Reddick and Weissman with the only runs of the game.

Samford will return home on Tuesday, March 20, to face Arkansas in its first home game since Feb. 7. The double-header will begin at 2 p.m. at the Samford Softball Field.