Softball: Dawgs Offense Launches Eight Home Runs in Pair of Wins
The 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs put together a strong offensive day Saturday at Jack Turner Stadium, knocking eight home runs in run-rule victories over UMass (13-4) and Ohio (8-0).
Senior Lacey Fincher contributed three of Georgia’s eight homers and combined for seven RBI on the day. Junior Sara Mosley had three hits in each game and scored four runs on the day.
Georgia has now won 12-straight games and climb to 18-2 on the season.
No. 16 Georgia 13, UMass 4 (5 inn.)
Mosley scattered three hits in Georgia’s first game of the day, but it was Fincher who provided the fireworks hitting two home runs in the game. She tied a career-best five RBI. Senior Savana Sikes added two hits at the top of the order. Georgia’s 13 runs came on 13 hits.
Sophomore Madison Kerpics (6-1) earned her sixth victory coming out the pen. Kerpics worked three and a third innings of scoreless softball, allowing just one hit and fanning seven hitters. Kerpics was the fourth pitcher Georgia used in the game.
UMass (4-9) capitalized on a bases-loaded situation in the opening frame and pushed three runs across to open the game, putting the Bulldogs behind 3-0 early.
The Dogs answered back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at three-all. With runners in scoring position, Sydney Chambley scored off a fielder’s choice to short off the bat of Jaiden Fields. Two batters later, the UMass right fielder couldn’t hold on to a fly ball off the bat of Sydney Kuma as a pair of runners came in to score and tie the game at 3-3.
The Minutewomen plated a run in the top of the second to quickly retake the lead, 4-3.
Georgia claimed its first lead of the game thanks to a pair of two-run home runs from Fincher and Ellie Armistead in the home half of the lead to lead 7-4.
The Bulldogs claimed the five-inning victory with two three-run home runs in the fifth from Aniyah Black and the second homer of the day from Fincher, securing the 13-4 victory over UMass.
No. 16 Georgia 8, Ohio 0 (5 inn.)
The hot offense continued into the nightcap as the Bulldogs plated eight runs on nine hits. Mosley followed up her three-hit game earlier in the day with three more against the Bobcats and was the lone Bulldog with multiple hits.
Kylie Macy (4-0) earned her fourth victory in the circle, working four shutout innings, allowing just two hits and struck out four Bobcats (3-9).
The bats didn’t waste any time picking up where they left off from game one. Mosley jumpstarted the scoring with a three-run home run in the first. Two batters later, Kuma knocked a solo shot to right center to widen Georgia’s first inning lead to 4-0.
Fincher’s third home run of the day came in the home half of the third, another two-run blast to right. Later in the inning, Black drove in Lyndi Rae Davis on a fielder’s choice back up the middle to bring Georgia’s advantage to 7-0 after three.
A solo home run from Chambley in the fourth, Georgia’s eighth home run of the day, brought the lead to 8-0.
Sophomore Riley Orcutt entered in the circle and worked a 1-2-3 fifth en route to Georgia’s second run-rule victory of the day.
Georgia takes on App State Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium. First pitch against the Mountaineers is slated for 1 p.m.
BASEBALL: Tech Clinches Series
The 14th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs fell to the 19th-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 7-0 Saturday afternoon at Foley Field to a crowd of 3,457.
“Our approach wasn’t very good. Their pitchers threw the ball well,” said Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin. “We got to get better. There’s no question about it. We got to show some toughness and bounce back tomorrow.”
Georgia sophomore starter Liam Sullivan and Tech starter Zach Maxwell both struggled with command early in the game, but neither offense could push a run across in the first two innings.
The Bulldogs (8-2) had the bases loaded in the second and third innings but failed to score after senior Cole Tate and sophomore Garrett Spikes flew out and grounded out, respectively.
Sullivan was relieved with two outs in the third inning by junior Michael Polk after allowing three hits, three walks, two runs and a strikeout. Polk would strand runners on second and third after striking out Tech outfielder Stephen Reid. After getting out of another jam in the third inning, Tech’s Maxwell was relieved in the fourth inning by freshman Cody Carwile after allowing two hits, six walks and zero runs with seven strikeouts. After pitching a scoreless fourth inning, Polk was relieved by sophomore Jaden Woods. Polk did not allow a hit or walk and fanned two Yellow Jacket hitters.
The Bulldog bats remained quiet for the remainder of the game, having only three baserunners reach after the third inning. The Yellow Jackets (10-1) extended their lead in the seventh inning after a home run to left-center field by sophomore Tim Borden II off of Woods. First baseman Andrew Jenkins hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to push the lead to 4-0.
Freshman Coleman Willis relieved Woods in the eighth inning and would pitch the final two innings for the Bulldogs. Woods finished the game having allowed five hits, one walk, two runs and two strikeouts. After an almost flawless eighth inning from Willis, Georgia Tech blew the game open in the top of the ninth due to four walks, a throwing error from third baseman Josh McAllister and a two-run single to center field from sophomore third baseman Drew Compton.
Willis finished the game allowing three runs (one earned), one hit, three walks and a pair of strikeouts. Sullivan (1-1) was tabbed with the loss for the Bulldogs, and Carwile (1-0) picked up the win for the Yellow Jackets while Aeden Finateri picked up a three-inning save in the combined four-hitter.
Georgia and Georgia Tech conclude the regular season series Sunday at 2 p.m. ET at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Ga
MBB: Dawgs Lose Final Regular Season Game
Despite an opening offensive flurry, the University of Georgia men’s basketball team fell to Missouri, 79-69, in its regular season finale Saturday afternoon at Mizzou Arena.
Senior Braelen Bridges led Georgia (6-25, 1-17 SEC) in scoring with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, along with a team-high five rebounds. Sophomore Kario Oquendo tallied 17 points, while graduate Aaron Cook racked up 16 points. For the game, the Bulldogs shot 44.9 percent from the field.
“We weren’t physically aggressive, and we didn’t have a high level of compete and physicality on the glass,” said Georgia head coach Tom Crean following the game. “When that happens, it’s indicative of where our defense is at…It’s unfortunate because this is still a very winnable game all the way to the end.”
Georgia’s offense opened the afternoon on a tear, converting on each of its first 10 shot attempts, including a pair of 3-pointers from Oquendo and junior Jaxon Etter. After going down 16-2 four minutes into the game, Missouri (11-20, 5-13 SEC) started to cut into the lead, reducing the deficit to seven by the second media break. The Bulldogs responded with a three from senior Noah Baumann off a steal from Cook, bringing their lead back to double figures.
The Bulldogs were also able to work their way into the bonus early, fortifying their advantage with consistent trips to the foul line and going up 14 with five minutes to play. Despite Georgia’s scoring, the Tigers benefitted from the boards, hauling in nine offensive rebounds and scoring 13 second-chance points in the first half, leading to a 9-2 run near the end of the first. However, a layup from Oquendo in the closing seconds gave Georgia a 39-30 lead at the half.
Georgia’s output carried into the early moments of the second half as Bridges continued his strong performance, but three Missouri triples helped bring it to within three at the 14-minute mark. The Tigers eventually tied the game on a layup before taking their first lead with a three midway through the half. Conversely, the Bulldogs went over nine minutes without a field goal as the Missouri lead grew to 10 in the process.
After Oquendo broke the drought with a driving lay-in and Cook converted on a traditional 3-point play, Georgia now trailed by five with three minutes remaining, but Missouri answered with four quick points. Down six in the final minutes, Oquendo missed both free throw attempts, allowing Missouri to seal the game at the line.
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