[su_spacer size=”20″] Paige Wilson’s fifth-inning grand slam led the 14th-ranked Georgia softball team to a series sweep of the No. 17/19 Kentucky Wildcats with an 8-4 win on Sunday, April 16. Georgia is now 39-13 on the year and 14-9 in Southeastern Conference play. Kentucky falls to 29-20 overall and 5-16 in league play.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Chelsea Wilkinson (24-8) earned the win. She allowed four runs on six hits and two walks. She also struck out six batters. Brittany Gray threw 2.2 perfect innings for Georgia, striking out three. Kelsey Nunley (12-13) suffered the loss after allowing eight runs on nine hits and a two walks in 5.0 innings of work. She also struck out nine batters. Meagan Prince was perfect over the final two innings, striking out four batters.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With one away, Sydni Emanuel tripled to left field. After a Tina Iosefa walk, Anna Swafford came through with a RBI single through the left side. Wilson followed with a double down the right field line that scored Iosefa and put Georgia up 2-0.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Wildcats answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. A pair of singles put runners on for Griffin Joiner, who hit a three-run home run off the pole in left field that gave Kentucky its first lead of the series at 3-2. After another single, Wilkinson retired the next three batters in order to end the inning.
[su_spacer size=”40″] After three scoreless innings, Georgia broke the game open with a six run fifth inning to take an 8-3 lead. Niaja Griffin, Cortni Emanuel and S. Emanuel showed off their blazing speed with three-straight bunt singles to start the inning. With the bases loaded, Alex Hugo drew a walk that tied the game at 3-3. Iosefa drove in the go ahead run when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. With the bases still loaded, Wilson stepped to the plate and took a 1-1 pitch over the center field wall for her third career grand slam that made it an 8-3 game. It was the second home run of the year for the senior.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Kentucky got a run back in the bottom of the frame on Joiner’s second home run of the game that made brought the score to 8-4.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Gray retired each of the eight batters she faced to keep Kentucky from mounting a comeback and sealing the 8-4 win.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia returns to action May 6-9 when it looks to defend its SEC Tournament title in Baton Rouge, La.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Photo Credit: Stephen Colquitt/Georgia Sports Communications