Photo by Stephen Colquitt
[su_spacer size=”40″] Chelsea Wilkinson got the start and the win for Georgia to improve to 13-2 on the year. She allowed one run on five hits and two walks. She tied her season-best with 12 strikeouts on the day. Alexis Silkwood earned the start for Mississippi State and went 5.1 innings. She allowed four runs on three hits, two walks and two hit batters. Cassidy Knudsen came in to pitch in the sixth inning. She allowed two runs on three hits and a walk.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Cortni Emanuel went 2-for-4 on the day with a single, a double, a run scored and two RBI. Alex Hugo, Maeve McGuire, Kaylee Puailoa and Samantha LaZear each picked up one run, one hit and one RBI.
[su_spacer size=”40″] After a scoreless first inning, Georgia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. With one away, Puailoa took a pitch high and deep over the left center field wall for her first home run of the season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia added a run in the top of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Emanuel led things off with a single to short and moved to third on a pair of groundouts. With two away and a runner at third, Hugo delivered a RBI single up the middle.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Wilkinson continued her dominating performance into the bottom of the third and fourth innings, striking out six of the next eight batters she faced. She also retired seven-straight MSU hitters.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs tacked on four more runs in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 6-0. Hugo led off with a four-pitch walk and moved to second after Anna Swafford was hit by a pitch. Following the hit batter, Mississippi State went to the bullpen for Knudsen. After a pop up, Georgia hitters recorded three-straight two out hits to drive in four runs. McGuire singled through the left side, allowing Hugo to come home for the third run of the game. With runners at first and second, LaZear drove a single up the middle that allowed Swafford to score easily from second. The final two runs were scored on a double off the bat of Emanuel that resulted in a 6-0 Georgia lead.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Mississippi State avoided the shutout when McKenzie Toler hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.
[su_spacer size=”40″] MSU looked to cut into the lead in the bottom of the seventh, but a strikeout and two pop outs sealed the 6-1 win.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The series between Georgia and Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., continues tomorrow, March 7 at 2 p.m., ET. The game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network., March 6 at the MSU Softball Field in Starkville, Miss. With the win, Georgia earned its 20th victory of the season to move to 20-2 on the year, including 1-0 in the SEC. Mississippi State is 17-4 on the year and 0-1 league play.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Chelsea Wilkinson got the start and the win for Georgia to improve to 13-2 on the year. She allowed one run on five hits and two walks. She tied her season-best with 12 strikeouts on the day. Alexis Silkwood earned the start for Mississippi State and went 5.1 innings. She allowed four runs on three hits, two walks and two hit batters. Cassidy Knudsen came in to pitch in the sixth inning. She allowed two runs on three hits and a walk.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Cortni Emanuel went 2-for-4 on the day with a single, a double, a run scored and two RBI. Alex Hugo, Maeve McGuire, Kaylee Puailoa and Samantha LaZear each picked up one run, one hit and one RBI.
[su_spacer size=”40″] After a scoreless first inning, Georgia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. With one away, Puailoa took a pitch high and deep over the left center field wall for her first home run of the season.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia added a run in the top of the third inning to take a 2-0 lead. Emanuel led things off with a single to short and moved to third on a pair of groundouts. With two away and a runner at third, Hugo delivered a RBI single up the middle.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Wilkinson continued her dominating performance into the bottom of the third and fourth innings, striking out six of the next eight batters she faced. She also retired seven-straight MSU hitters.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs tacked on four more runs in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 6-0. Hugo led off with a four-pitch walk and moved to second after Anna Swafford was hit by a pitch. Following the hit batter, Mississippi State went to the bullpen for Knudsen. After a pop up, Georgia hitters recorded three-straight two out hits to drive in four runs. McGuire singled through the left side, allowing Hugo to come home for the third run of the game. With runners at first and second, LaZear drove a single up the middle that allowed Swafford to score easily from second. The final two runs were scored on a double off the bat of Emanuel that resulted in a 6-0 Georgia lead.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Mississippi State avoided the shutout when McKenzie Toler hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth.
[su_spacer size=”40″] MSU looked to cut into the lead in the bottom of the seventh, but a strikeout and two pop outs sealed the 6-1 win.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The series between Georgia and Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., continues tomorrow, March 7 at 2 p.m., ET. The game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.