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SB: Dawgs Remain Perfect, Win Two Sunday

SOFTBALL | vs. SYRACUSE | W, 3-1

Winning pitcher: Randi Roelling (4-0)

   Losing Pitcher: Madison Knight (4-1)

SOFTBALL | vs. UTAH VALLEY | W, 10-0 (6 inn.)

Winning pitcher: Rachel Gibson (3-0)

   Losing Pitcher: Avery Sapp (3-5)

Season Record: 14-0

The ninth-ranked Georgia softball team continued its perfect start to the season, beating Syracuse (3-1) and Utah Valley (10-0, 6 innings) on Sunday to close out action at the Georgia Classic.  

Georgia’s 14-0 start is now the second-best start in program history. Georgia opened the 2002 season 24-0.  

FAST FACTS

• Sophomore Randi Roelling improved to 4-0 in the circle with a complete-game outing against Syracuse. She gave up one run on four hits with two strikeouts. 
• Senior Rachel Gibson pitched a career-long shutout six innings, her first complete game, and struck out a career-high 10 batters in her start against Utah Valley. She allowed just two hits to the Wolverines. 
• Junior Marisa Miller knocked her first home run of the season in the sixth inning of the Syracuse game to add some late insurance. Miller finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI. 
• Freshman Tyah Charlton blasted her first career home run, a two-run shot to center, in the bottom of the fourth against Utah Valley. 
• Jaydyn Goodwin and Emily Digby each scattered three hits against Utah Valley while Emma Castorri blasted her second home run of the season, finishing 2-for-3. 
• Sarah Gordon provided a three-run home run, her team-leading fourth home run, in the bottom of the sixth to complete the run rule of the Wolverines, 10-0. 

KEY QUOTE

Head coach Tony Baldwin

On the significance of Rachel Gibson’s big game against Utah Valley…

“I’m just really proud of her. She’s worked and worked and worked. The thing that I’m really proud of – and people don’t give it the props, maybe, that it deserves because everybody sees the stuff improve over time – but her confidence and her belief in herself and comfort in her own skin, all of those things have continued to grow, and to see her go out there and take the circle with such confidence is what coaching’s all about. I’m just really proud of her for going out there and doing what we all know that she’s capable of.”

On the consistency of the team’s energy throughout the weekend…

“I thought they did a good job. I think the thing that I love about this team is they just like to play ball. And we just keep embracing it as every day that we get a chance to play is a good day and so take advantage of it. One of these days, we’ll miss them when they’re gone, and so I think the team does a good job with that. I thought we had a good energy and a good mindset from start to finish on a long day, and I’m really proud of them.”

Video

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs hit the road on Wednesday for their first midweek action at Clemson. First pitch between Georgia and Clemson is set for 4 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.

 

BSB: Dawgs Sweep Home Opening Weekend, Winning 17-3 Sunday

 The eighth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs improved to 8-1 after posting a 17-3 win over UIC Sunday to complete their home opening weekend series sweep.

Fast Facts

• The Bulldogs’ bats were firing from the start with the team hitting for the cycle in order in the first to take an early lead over the Flames.
  • Down 2-0, junior Ryan Black led off with a single. Senior Slate Alford followed with his fourth double of the weekend. Senior Robbie Burnett then evened the score with a two-run triple. Sophomore Daniel Jackson put Georgia ahead with a two-run bomb, his first as a Bulldog, to make it 4-2 and complete the team cycle.
• Black crushed a two-run moon shot in the second to record his 14th career home run and second as a Bulldog.
• Burnett followed up his first inning triple with a solo blast in the bottom of the fifth. He led the team on the day, going 2-for-2 with 3 RBI.
• Following a 10-run outburst by the Bulldogs in the sixth inning, the game ended due to a travel curfew for the Flames.
  • Senior Henry Hunter and sophomore Tre Phelps joined the home run party with Hunter launching an estimated 410-foot solo shot and Phelps sending a three-run blast over the right field wall.
• Redshirt junior DJ Radtke (1-0) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win and sophomore Jordan Stephens fired two innings with five strikeouts to record his first save as a Bulldog.

Key Quote

Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson

On the series sweep

“Even though we went down again early, I liked our swings all day. You could start to see it a little bit yesterday. Our guys are getting a little more and more comfortable with their approach that we’ve got them in against certain types of pitchers. You got to tip your hat to UIC, I mean the score got a little sideways late, had some guys moving the ball around the strike zone with a lot of different looks. Those are the things that are really hard to replicate in practice but those are the things we’ve got to be ready for when we get to league play.”

On Tre Phelps’ home run and offensive strategy going forward

“Sometimes those at-bats are what make a guy get on a hot streak and start seeing the ball. Yesterday, his last at-bat he lined out to right, and I looked at Coach (Will) Coggin and said okay if we can get more of a right-center approach with him I think the game will slow back down for him and he’ll start to get off good swings.”

Daniel Jackson, C

On the pitching staff

“I love how they can control the strike zone and come back even when they might be down 2-0. We have tons of great guys with great stuff, they have all the confidence in the world so we have confidence in them. It’s a great bond.”

On Tre Phelps’ home run

“It was awesome. Tre is the best teammate. It was awesome to see him go do that.”

DJ Radtke, RHP

On being a part of this year’s team

“It’s been a lot of fun. It’s a great group of guys to be around. It makes it really easy when you’ve got a defense behind you that’s not making any errors, playing really well. The lineup hits. Crushing the ball. It’s been a lot of fun playing with these guys.”

On Jordan Stephens save

“He’s electric. He’s an incredibly hard worker. Obviously, he’s got an extremely live arm. He’s really fun to watch.”

On what the pitching staff does for him

“It definitely helps not only me, but every single person, especially in the bullpen. Just knowing that we have a guy behind us if, for whatever reason, we don’t get the job done, we know there’s a guy behind us that’s able to come in and have elite stuff.”

Up Next

Georgia will travel to Atlanta Wednesday to take on Georgia State in a 4 p.m. matchup before returning to Foley Field to face Florida Gulf Coast in a four-game series next weekend.

WTEN: Top-Ranked UGA Blasts South Carolina

 The No. 1 Georgia women’s tennis team (8-1, 1-0 SEC) cruised past No. 49 South Carolina (5-4, 0-1 SEC), 6-1, in its Southeastern Conference opener at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on Sunday.

Fast Facts

• The Bulldogs now lead the all-time series 55-17, having won each of the last seven meetings against the Gamecocks.
• Georgia opened the scoring with doubles point, earning wins on courts two and three. #81 Aysegul Mert and Hayden Mulberry knocked off Jana Stojanova and Bella Larsson, 6-3, on court three followed by #65 Guillermina Grant and Anastasiia Lopata defeating Olympe Lancelot and Helena Buchwald, 6-4, on court two for the clinch.
• In singles, #56 Mert cruised past Misa Malkin, 6-1, 6-1, on court four to double the Bulldogs’ lead to 2-0.
• #39 Lopata followed up with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over #68 Kaitlyn Carnicella, putting Georgia one point away from a win.
• #66 Grant secured the win for the Bulldogs on court five, defeating Larsson, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1.
• After playing out the rest of the day’s matches, Georgia earned two more victories as Mell Reasco beat Lancelot, 6-3, 6-2, on court three followed by Sofia Rojas knocking off Buchwald, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 1-0 (10-6), on court five.
• The Bulldogs extended their SEC home winning streak to 16 matches. 

Results

Doubles:

1. #57 Sarah Hamner/Kaitlyn Carnicella (SCAR) def. #25 Dasha Vidmanova/Mell Reasco (UGA), 6-4

2. #65 Guillermina Grant/Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) def. Olympe Lancelot/Helena Buchwald (SCAR), 6-4

3. #81 Aysegul Mert/Hayden Mulberry (UGA) def. Jana Stojanova/Bella Larsson (SCAR), 6-3

Singles:

1. #29 Sarah Hamner (SCAR) def. #1 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA), 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 1-0 (10-7)

2. #39 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) def. #68 Kaitlyn Carnicella (SCAR), 6-2, 6-2

3. Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Olympe Lancelot (SCAR), 6-3, 6-2

4. #56 Aysegul Mert (UGA) def. Misa Malkin (SCAR), 6-1, 6-1

5. #66 Guillermina Grant (UGA) def. Bella Larsson (SCAR), 7-6 (7-3), 6-1

6. Sofia Rojas (UGA) def. Helena Buchwald (SCAR), 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 1-0 (10-6)

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,2,5,3,6,1)

Key Quotes

Head Coach Drake Bernstein

“Yeah, it’s great to be back home in Athens.  We’ve had limited practice outdoors, but as far as going from in to out, I was pretty pleased with the adjustments that we made. But, yeah, it’s just great to be playing college tennis in Athens again, outdoors. Greatest setting for it in the country.”

Guillermina Grant | Sr.

“Yeah, it was really cool getting to play on home court. Getting to have the crowd behind us.  I felt every time we were winning a point, everyone was cheering super loud. So, it was really fun.”

Up Next

The No. 1 Bulldogs will take remain at home to resume SEC play, facing No. 4 Auburn on Friday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. ET at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

Match 10 – No. 1 Georgia vs No. 4 Auburn

Date: Friday,Feb. 28, 2025

Time: 4 p.m. ET

Location: Athens, Ga.

Site: Dan Magill Tennis Complex

Live Video/Scoring: https://gado.gs/outdoorlive

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