(Photo by John Kelley)
[su_spacer size=”40″] him him came toNo. 11/12 Georgia dropped an 8-4 decision to the No. 2/1 Florida Gators in the first game of a softball doubleheader on April 18 at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Ga. With the loss, Georgia falls to 35-12 on the year and 11-8 in Southeastern Conference play. Florida improves to 42-4 overall and 12-4 in the SEC.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Gray suffered the loss to fall to 13-5 on the year. She allowed eight runs on 10 hits and a walk. She also struck out eight. Lauren Haeger improved to 20-0 on the year. She allowed four run on nine hits and walk. She struck out six batters.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Gators put their first three batters on to load the bases with no outs. Lauren Haeger then delivered a grand slam to put Florida up 4-0. Gray gave up a walk before retiring the next three batters in order to end the inning.
[su_spacer size=”40″] It didn’t take long for Georgia to respond, putting up three runs in the bottom of the first to cut the lead to 4-3. Sydni Emanuel got things started with a one-out double to the wall in left center. A walk to Alex Hugo put two on for Tina Iosefa, who delivered her fifth home run of the year with a three-run shot off of the scoreboard in left field that cut the lead to one. Anna Swafford legged out a single deep in the hole at short, but was left stranded as a groundout ended the inning.
[su_spacer size=”40″] After a scoreless second inning, Georgia tied the game at 4-4 on a solo home run to straightaway center by Hugo. It was her 16th homer of the year.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia had its chance in the bottom of the sixth when Kaylee Puailoa picked up a two-out single. A groundout ended the inning
[su_spacer size=”40″] With the score knotted at 4-4 going to the seventh, Florida put together an inning reminiscent of the first. The Gators put their first three batters aboard before Nicole DeWitt hit the second grand slam of the game. The home run gave Florida an 8-4 lead.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia was unable to plate another run in the seventh resulting in a final score of 8-4.
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(Photo by John Kelley)
[su_spacer size=”40″] A seventh inning rally fell just short as the No. 11/12 Georgia softball team dropped a 4-3 decision to the No. 2/1 Florida Gators in the second game of a doubleheader in front of a packed house at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Ga. With the loss, Georgia dropped to 35-13 on the year and 11-9 in Southeastern Conference play. Florida improved to 43-4 overall and 13-4 in the SEC. The game marked the annual Pink Out. Fans were encouraged to make a donation and bid on the pink jerseys the players wore during the game. The event raised $4,608 for the Athens Regional Breast Health Center.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Chelsea Wilkinson (21-8) suffered the loss. She allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits in the complete-game performance. She struck out six batters. Aleshia Ocasio (15-3) got the win after allowing three runs on six hits. She struck out five batters. Delanie Gourley earned her third save of the year after striking out each of the three batters she faced in the seventh.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Florida took an early lead, going up 3-0 in the top of the first inning on a three-run home run by Bailey Castro.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Gators looked to add to their lead in the top of the fifth inning, getting a runner on with one out. Paige Wilson made a highlight reel play, making a running, over-the-shoulder grab in shallow right center before doubling off the runner at first for the final out of the inning.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Riding the momentum of the defensive play in the top of the inning, Alex Hugo put Georgia on the board with a solo home run to left center. It was her 17th home run of the year and second of the day. With one out, Anna Swafford missed a home run by about six inches off the wall in right but had to settle for a single as the ball bounced back to the fielder. Kaylee Puailoa followed with single up the middle that moved Swafford to third. With runners at second and third, Katie Browne hit into a fielder’s choice, but the throw to the plate beat the runner for out number two. Georgia left two stranded as a pop up ended the inning.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Florida tacked on a run in the top of the seventh to take a 4-1 lead. An error, a groundout and a wild pitch put a runner at third before a groundout plated the run.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia didn’t go away quietly as Hugo and Iosefa led off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back home runs. Hugo’s bomb, her second of the game and third of the day, went to center. Iosefa’s home run was a monster shot over the scoreboard and the trees in left field. It was Iosefa’s second home run of the day. The rally came up short as the final out was recorded, resulting in a 4-3 loss.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs look to avoid a sweep tomorrow, April 19 at 1 p.m., when it hosts Florida in the final game of the series. The game is set to air on ESPNU.