Willer’s First Career Grand Slam Pushes Tech Past Cal in Sunday Series Finale – Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

BERKELEY, CALIF. – After trailing 4-1 through the first three innings, Georgia Tech softball (17-11, 5-4) came back to take the final game of the series against Cal (22-5, 5-1), 8-5, on Sunday afternoon. Alyssa Willer’s fifth inning grand slam would go on to be the deciding factor while Kinsey Norton’s relief pitching would support the Jackets’ defense.

QUICK HITS

• Sophia Voyles made her 11^th start of the season in the circle for Tech while Norton made her 15^th appearance of the season in relief of Voyles.
• Willer’s grand slam on Sunday was the third grand slam of the season for Tech, with one belonging to Gracyn Tucker against No. 18 Stanford and the other belonging to Eliana Gottlieb against Dayton.
• The fifth inning fence clearing hit was the freshman’s second career home run.
• Paige Vukadinovich recorded her sixth multi-hit game of the season with two on Sunday against Cal. Vukadinovich is now tied with Jayden Gailey for most multi-hit games this season, both of which are behind Eliana Gottlieb who has eight.
• Sunday saw Willer record her fourth game of the season scoring multiple runs (2).
• Gracyn Tucker extends both her hitting and reached base streaks to seven games respectively following Sunday’s performance. Her seven-game hitting streak ties the team high hitting streak this season set by Addison Leschber and Grace Connelly
• Tucker’s reached base streak is the fourth longest of the season for the Jackets, but her second longest of the season, with her longest reached base streak being nine games.
• Sunday’s 8-5 win was Tech’s first win against California in program history and ties the program record for runs scored against the Golden Bears, set back in the 2017 season.
• Willer is the fourth Yellow Jacket to record a home run against the Golden Bears with the other two jackets being Samantha Pierannunzi, Katie Krzus, and Kelsey Chisholm in the 2017 season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• For the third straight game against the Golden Bears, the Yellow Jackets scored in the first inning with Gailey crossing home off of Reese’s double to left field that reached all the way to the way.
• Cal tied the game in the bottom half of the first after a Tech error allowed a Cal runner to advance home from third.
• The Golden Bears’ took the lead in the bottom of the second with a solo home run sent over left field, making the game 2-1.
• In the bottom of the third, the hosting Bears posted another two runs off of a home run over right field.
• Tech tallied one run in the top…