Georgia infielders Sydney Kuma (6) and Ellie Armistead (24) in action during a NCAA college softball game between Virginia Tech and Georgia at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Virginia Tech won 5-4. (Photo/Landen Todd @whats_landophoto)
Georgia infielders Sydney Kuma (6) and Ellie Armistead (24) in action during a NCAA college softball game between Virginia Tech and Georgia at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Virginia Tech won 5-4. (Photo/Landen Todd @whats_landophoto)
Georgia softball claimed victories over Miami (Ohio), Jacksonville State and Furman to sweep its five games in the Bulldog Classic from March 8-10 at Jack Turner Softball Stadium.
Needing one final strike to secure the out, Miami (Ohio) pitcher Madilyn Reeves looked at her catcher. Once the sign was relayed, Reeves threw the pitch slightly to the outside of the plate, where fifth-year Sara Mosley hit it far over the left field wall to go up 2-0.
Senior Jayda Kearney then stepped up to the plate. On a 3-1 count, she scorched a ball to the opposite field, extending Georgia’s lead to three in the bottom of the first
The scoring did not stop there, as the Bulldogs batted around and ended the opening inning with an 8-0 lead. The offensive onslaught fueled Georgia softball to run-rule Miami (Ohio) 13-2 on March 8. This victory set the tone for the rest of the Bulldog Classic series.
Mosley and Kearney led the offensive attack, combining for 11 RBIs. Mosley opened the scoring with a homer, while Kearney’s grand slam prematurely ended the game in the fifth.
On the mound, junior Lilli Backes pitched all five innings for the Bulldogs, allowing four hits and striking out three batters.
“A pretty complete effort against a really good ball club,” head coach Tony Baldwin said.
Georgia then faced Jacksonville State, where a special occasion invited an elite performance.
Most people enjoy going out on their birthday. Others enjoy throwing parties, while some prefer to spend time with their family. In senior Madison Kerpics’ case, she enjoyed throwing a no-hitter.
“As I just told the team, a lot of these outcomes that they make so important, when you get to be my age, you won’t remember them,” Baldwin said. “But you will remember throwing a no-hitter on your birthday, and that’s pretty cool.”
Kerpics’ pitching performance, as well as another solid offensive showing, gave Georgia a 9-0 victory in just five innings over Jacksonville State on March 9.
Georgia was held scoreless until the third, where a homer by junior Lyndi Davis put the Bulldogs on the board. Five batters later, sophomore Sarah Gordon followed with a shot of her own, giving the Bulldogs a 5-0 lead.
It only took the Bulldogs one more inning to build a 9-0 lead. After a scoreless top of the fifth, Georgia secured its second consecutive run rule victory.
It then had a rematch with Miami (Ohio) on deck.
Georgia’s second contest with Miami (Ohio) differed from the first-inning ambush showcased in the first matchup. However, the result remained the same, as the Bulldogs reigned victorious with a 6-4 win on March 9.
The Redhawks began the scoring, lacing a double into left-center field that plated two. However, the Bulldogs quickly responded, as graduate Sydney Kuma blasted a pitch to center field to give Georgia the lead.
After Miami (Ohio) regained the lead in the fifth, the Bulldogs scored three in the bottom of the sixth to put themselves in the driver’s seat, 6-4. A shutdown top of the seventh by Backes secured the victory for the Bulldogs – with two more games remaining in the tournament.
“I think momentum is just on how you maintain your mindset,” Baldwin said. “Happy with the outcomes and the wins today, but now we shift into recovery and trying to get our mindset into a good place so we can get back to try to be the best version of ourself tomorrow.”
The Bulldogs’ second matchup against the Gamecocks featured a back-and-forth battle. A bases-clearing double by Mosley in the second put Georgia ahead 3-1. Jacksonville State then responded, using a double and sacrifice fly to tie the game at three a piece.
In the third inning, sophomore Jaydyn Goodwin sent the first pitch she saw to deep right field, giving the Bulldogs a 6-3 lead.
Two innings later, senior Ellie Armistead faced a hitter’s count. Trying to throw a strike, the Gamecocks’ Jordan Eslinger threw something over the heart of the plate, which Armistead sent to deep center field to extend the Bulldogs lead. Georgia never relinquished that lead, earning an 8-6 victory on March 10.
Graduate Shelby Walters led the Bulldogs in the circle, tossing four innings of three run ball. Sophomore Destin Howard, senior Riley Orcutt and Kerpics followed her, with Kerpics earning her first save.
Georgia then turned the page to its final game of the tournament, where it was all hands on deck.
The Bulldogs opened their final game of the Bulldog Classic with a bang, as Davis hit a lead-off homer. After four straight balls put Mosley on first base, Kearney hit a home run of her own, giving Georgia a 3-0 lead to begin the ballgame.
Georgia further bolstered its lead the following inning, but it did so by playing small ball. After Davis and Kearny each singled, a fielder’s choice off the bat of Kuma added another insurance run for the Bulldogs, who were now leading by six.
An RBI groundout by Goodwin in the third plated Georgia’s final’s run, while the pitching staff of Kerpics and junior Rachel Gibson threw seven shutout innings with only three hits. Georgia’s overall team performance gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 victory over Furman to conclude the Bulldog Classic on March 10.
“All in all, it was a really good day,” Baldwin said. “It was really fun to have the sun out and play in the sun a little bit— just playing good softball. We got through the tournament season. We’re 20-3 and feel pretty good about where we are at, and we’re looking forward to just tackling one game a day for a little while.”
Following the tournament, Georgia faced in-state rival Georgia Tech March 13 at Jack-Turner Softball Stadium.
On a warm-weathered Wednesday, the No. 5 ranked Georgia softball team took on its in-state rival the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Jack Turner Stadium, where third baseman Sara Mosley’s two 2-run homers proved to be the difference maker in the Bulldogs’ 6-3 victory. The Bulldogs now lead the all-time series 35-11.
On a rainy Wednesday evening on February 28, the then-No. 3 ranked Georgia softball team defeated No. 9 ranked Clemson at Jack Turner Stadium. Jayda Kearney walked it off in the bottom of the eighth inning with a single into right field to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 victory.
Georgia softball bounced back strong on February 24, defeating Virginia Tech 7-5, and run-ruling Radford 10-1 in six innings, after suffering a tough 5-4 loss against Virginia Tech on Friday night.
The home run by senior Ellie Armistead made the difference in Georgia’s 4-2 victory over Alabama Friday evening at Jack-Turner Softball Stadium.
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