Georgia pitcher Brittany Gray (18) pitches during an NCAA softball game between Georgia and Boston College at Jack Turner Stadium on March 8, 2016 in Athens, Ga.(Photo by Emily Selby)
The No. 12 Georgia softball team (25-3, 1-0) opened its Southeastern Conference schedule with a 4-1 win over South Carolina (21-6, 0-4) on Saturday.
The Bulldogs totaled 11 hits in the contest, as all batters in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit. Sydni Emanuel and Maeve McGuire led the squad with two apiece.
In the sixth inning, Cortni Emanuel posted a bunt single, making it 22-straight games that the sophomore has had a hit, tying Megan Wiggins’ school record. C. Emanuel has reached base in every game this year while not tabbing a hit in just two games.
Chelsea Wilkinson (13-1) went five innings with four hits, one run and one walk allowed while striking out four to grab the win. Brittany Gray came in for her third save of the year, keeping the Gamecocks off the bases with two strikeouts.
USC’s Nickie Blue (8-5) took the loss, going the complete game with two earned runs, two walks and four strikeouts to her line.
Georgia took to the scoreboard first, opening the game with a 1-0 lead. Kaylee Puailoa put a single to the shortstop to score S. Emanuel in the game’s first run. The Gamecocks knotted it up in the third after back-to-back hits and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for a Kennedy Clark walk.
A Lacey Sumerlin RBI single put Georgia back in the driver’s seat in the fourth before C. Emanuel’s bunt single and an error on the Gamecocks cushioned the Georgia lead to 4-1.
Game two of the series is set for a 7 p.m. ET start time on Sunday with the game being aired on SEC Network.
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