After traveling from coast to coast, the No. 8 Georgia softball team (11-0) put forth a team effort to come away with two wins in its opening day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
 
 
Georgia defeated LIU Brooklyn (4-7) 10-2 in five innings to notch 10-straight run-rule wins to open the year before overcoming tough errors in game two to defeat Cal State Fullerton (8-4) 7-6.
 
 
For the day, Maeve McGuire hit an astounding .833, going 5-for-6 at the plate along with four runs scored. Seniors Katie Browne and Tina Iosefa each notched four RBI. In the circle, it was the relief pitchers recording the wins, as Kylie Bass earned her first collegiate decision and Brittany Gray struck out seven Titan batters.
 
 
Play at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic continues on Friday with a contest against No. 10 UCLA at 3:30 p.m. ET. All games this week can be watched with a subscription to FloSoftball while live stat links will be available on georgiadogs.com.
 
 

Game One—No. 8 Georgia 10, LIU Brooklyn 2 (5)
 
 
Iosefa’s long ball propelled the Bulldogs to the tourney-opening win, 10-2 in five innings over LIU Brooklyn.
 
 
With the bases loaded after Lacey Sumerlin walked, Cortni Emanuel singled and Alex Hugo was intentionally walked, Iosefa stepped up to send a 3-1 ball over the right field fence for the grand slam, giving Georgia a 7-1 lead after a five-run second inning.
 
 
The Blackbirds scored both of their runs from sacrifice flies, one coming in the top second and the other in the third. Browne then sealed the run-rule win with a two-out, bases-clearing hit in the bottom fourth after singles from both Alyssa DiCarlo and McGuire plus a walk from Sumerlin to set up the runs.
 
 
Georgia had 11 total hits, led by McGuire’s three along with two from Kaylee Puailoa and Sydni Emanuel. Browne finished the game with a trio of RBI.
 
 
Bass notched the win after coming in for starter Gray and throwing three solid innings. Bass allowed five hits but no runs, as she struck out one. Gray finished the contest with two hits and one earned run while fanning three and walking two.
 
 
Game Two—No. 8 Georgia 7, Cal State Fullerton 6
 
 
Georgia saw its first major setback of the early year against Fullerton, as the Bulldogs worked a comeback to defeat the Titans 7-6.
 
 
Five runs over two frames for Fullerton put Georgia with its largest deficit this season, as three errors proved costly. With Georgia ahead 3-1, the Titans capitalized on two of the Bulldog errors in the top third to take the lead at 4-3. Two more unanswered runs came in the next frame, as another Bulldog miscue followed by a RBI single put the advantage at 6-3.
 
 
McGuire continued her hot night with her first home run of the season, as her leadoff shot in the fourth then a RBI single in the fifth cut it to 6-5. Browne helped erase the deficit by bringing McGuire home from first with a hit just out of the reach of the left fielder. With two outs in the sixth, Puailoa pulled out a walk before DiCarlo roped a triple down the left side, letting Puailoa score the deciding run.
 
 
Gray came in at the start of the fifth for Chelsea Wilkinson, as the sophomore struck out seven in her three innings of action to shut down the Titan offense. Gray allowed one baserunner with a hit.
 
 
McGuire and Puailoa finished with a pair of hits each, as McGuire had three RBI and Puailoa two.