WTENNIS: Dawgs Advance To Sweet Sixteen
The 13th-ranked University of Georgia women’s tennis team swept the 23rd-ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons 4-0 Sunday afternoon, in the second round of the NCAA women’s tennis tournament.
“Today we came out and played some high-level doubles on all the courts,” said Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace. “We’ve worked hard and had bad luck in a lot of our doubles matches, but today we found a way to get it done and I think that really catapulted us… This is the NCAA tournament, everything we’ve worked for all year. We are thrilled that we’re in the sweet 16. I’m really excited for these guys and the work that they’ve put in.”
In doubles, Georgia (19-6) swept Wake Forest (17-11). The duo Guillermina Grant and Meg Kowalski cruised to 6-2 win over Mia Ahmad and Peyton Pesavento, while the freshmen duo of Mell Resco and Dasha Vidmanova defeated No. 27 Samantha Martinelli and Casie Wooten 6-4.
In singles play the Bulldogs earned win from No. 17 Reasco, Ania Hertel, and Meg Kowalski. Kowalski earned the first point of the day for Georgia, dominating Samantha Martinelli 6-2, 6-3. She was quickly followed by Hertel who cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Anna Brylin. Reasco, the freshman, clinched the match for the Bulldogs again, defeating No. 32 Carolyn Campana 6-2, 6-3. Since assuming the top spot, Reasco in 5-0. This marked her 11th win versus a ranked opponent on the season.
Up next, Georgia will travel to Durham, N.C. to face the Duke Blue Devils in the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, May 13. First serve TBA.
BASEBALL: Vandy Takes Series With Sunday Shutout
Liam Sullivan (3-3) was tabbed with the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out five batters. Vanderbilt southpaw and Savannah, Ga. native Carter Holton (6-3) pitched six scoreless innings for the Commodores. The freshman finished the game with five strikeouts and allowed four hits.
Sophomore catcher Corey Collins led the Georgia offense with two hits, racking up his 12th multi-hit game this season. The Commodores were led by senior slugger Dominic Keegan, who reached base four times with a home run and two RBIs, and senior Javier Vaz, who had two hits and a pair of RBIs as well. In the shutout, the Bulldogs hit six baseballs that were caught at the warning track.
“We had opportunities, but it just didn’t happen,” said Ike Cousins Head Coach Scott Stricklin following the game. “We knew in batting practice the ball wasn’t jumping out. They were getting cut down. I thought we barreled balls up, but they just got too far up in the air, and the wind caught them. I thought the first pitch we swung out was leaving the park in Ben Anderson. When it left his bat, I thought for sure it was gone, and I thought the last pitch we swung at had a chance in Josh McAllister. They both got caught at the wall. That’s the way it went. They got two big hits when they needed them, and they pitched plenty well enough to win.”
The Commodores got a two-run home run from Keegan. It was his third home run of the series and brought his season total to 11. Both teams’ bats were quiet until Vanderbilt tacked on two more runs off of senior Jack Gowen in the top of the sixth inning following a double from Vaz.
The Bulldogs had a great opportunity to score in the bottom half of the inning with the bases loaded and one out. Senior Chaney Rogers and sophomore Fernando Gonzalez, who homered twice in yesterday’s contest, struck out, and flew out to center respectively, to end the threat.
Gowen and sophomore Jaden Woods combined to pitch a scoreless seventh inning for the Bulldogs. Gowen allowed two runs on two hits and a walk. Holton was replaced by junior Nick Maldonado after Collins led off the seventh inning with a single.
Maldonado pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings for the Commodores and picked up a strikeout. Woods pitched the remainder of the game for Georgia and allowed no runs on one hit with a walk and a strikeout. Maldonado was replaced by junior Thomas Schultz, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth inning.
Georgia will travel to Tennessee to face the No.1 Volunteers in a three-game series, beginning Thursday at 7 p.m. in Knoxville. Game one will air on ESPNU.
SOFTBALL: Dawgs Fall 4-3, Ole Miss Takes Series
The 16th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs fell to the Ole Miss Rebels in the regular-season finale Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium, 4-3.
Georgia concludes the 2022 regular season 40-15 overall and 12-12 in SEC play. The Bulldogs will hold the No. 9 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament and will open tournament play Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against No. 8 Ole Miss.
Georgia’s offense scattered six hits from six different batters in the lineup. Sara Mosley and Savana Sikes each contributed an RBI.
Madison Kerpics (18-8) suffered the loss in the circle, allowing four runs in her complete-game outing. She struck out seven Rebels.
Georgia broke through after two and a half scoreless innings with two runs in the bottom of the third. Lyndi Rae Davis led off the frame with a double to left. Pinch runner Faith Barth came in to score on a double to right center off the bat of Sikes to put the Bulldogs on the board. Sikes raced around third and touched home on a single ripped down the third base line from Mosley, widening the lead to 2-0 going to the third.
The Rebels (38-16, 12-12) responded immediately in the top of the fourth. A two-run home run to left from Mikayla Allee tied the game at 2-2. Later in the inning, Bre Roper picked up an RBI single to go ahead 3-2.
Ole Miss plated an insurance run in the top of the seventh to widen its lead to 4-2.
Georgia put the tying run on base in the bottom of the inning, but the comeback was cut short in the end.
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