[break] The No. 8/7 Georgia softball team split a pair of games on the first day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Challenge on Thursday, Feb. 19 in Cathedral City, Calif. The Bulldogs defeated Indiana 9-1 in five innings before falling 5-0 to No. 25 Texas.  Georgia is now 11-1 on the season.
[break] [break] Georgia 9, Indiana 1
The Bulldogs won their ninth game of the season by way of the run rule when they defeated Indiana 9-1 in five innings in the first game of the day.
[break] [break] Cortni Emanuel led the way for the Georgia offense, going 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Sydni Emanuel finished with two hits and two RBI.
[break] [break] Brittany Gray earned her second no-hitter of the season in her complete-game performance. She threw five innings, allowing just one unearned run and struck out four to improve to 3-0 on the year.
[break] [break] The Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. C. Emanuel led things off with a double to short before moving to third on a single by S. Emanuel. Paige Wilson drove in C. Emanuel on a groundout to second that gave the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. S. Emanuel came home one batter later when Alex Hugo doubled to center. With arunner at second, Tina Iosefa roped a double to center, allowing Hugo to come home and make it a 3-0 game.
[break] [break] Georgia added two runs in the bottom of the second inning to increase its lead to 5-0. Niaja Griffin, Samantha LaZear and C. Emanuel started the inning with three-straight singles, including a RBI-single by C. Emanuel. With runners at second and third and one out, Wilson hit a sacrifice fly that allowed LaZear to score the Georgia’s fifth run of the game.
[break] [break] Indiana answered with a run in the top of the third, scoring on a Georgia error that made it a 5-1 game.
[break] [break] The scoring frenzy continued in the bottom of the third inning when Georgia scored three runs on one hit and an error. After Katie Collins and Griffin were each hit by a pitch, LaZear reached on an error by the Indiana second baseman. The error allowed Collins to race around the bases and score. Griffin crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by C. Emanuel. LaZear plated the final run of the inning when she scored on a groundout to short by S. Emanuel, giving Georgia an 8-1 lead.
[break] [break] The Emanuel sisters sealed the 9-1 win for Georgia in the bottom of the fifth inning. C. Emanuel singled to short before stealing second. She came home on a RBI-single by S. Emanuel to clinch the win.
[break] [break] Texas 5, Georgia 0
In Georgia’s first top-25 matchup of the season, the Bulldogs fell 5-0 to No. 25 Texas.
[break] [break] C. Emanuel, S. Emanuel and Tina Iosefa led the offense with one hit each. Chelsea Wilkinson suffered her first loss of the season to fall to 7-1. She allowed five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four in 7.0 innings in the circle.
[break] [break] Both offenses were quiet in the early goings, as the teams combined for just two hits through four innings.
[break] [break] Georgia looked to break the pitcher’s duel in the top of the fifth inning. Kaylee Puailoa reached on an error by the Texas first baseman and moved to second on the play. With Adele Harrison pinch running for Puailoa and standing at second, Iosefa singled to shallow center field, allowing Harrison to try for home but was thrown out at the plate. Collins ended the inning by popping into a double play on a diving catch by the Texas second baseman, who then stretched out and tagged second for the final out of the inning.
[break] [break] The Longhorns broke the game open in the top of the seventh inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Marlee Gabledon hit a bases clearing double that put Texas up 3-0. The Longhorns added two more runs when Stephanie Ceo hit an inside the park home run to center field that brought the score to 5-0.
[break] [break] Georgia returns to action tomorrow, Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. ET when they take on No. 4/3 Oklahoma in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Challenge in Cathedral City, Calif.
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Photo by Sean Taylor/Georgia Sports Communication