Down to its final out of the game, the No. 19 Minnesota Gophers (13-5) used a three-run home run to come back and win 4-3 over the ninth ranked Georgia softball team (17-2) on Sunday.
After a pitcher’s duel for the first 4.5 innings, Georgia broke a scoreless game with three runs in the fifth inning. The speed of Samantha LaZear brought in the first run off of a Cortni Emanuel single, as the senior beat the throw at home with a nice slide. With C. Emanuel at second and Alex Hugo on first after a catcher’s interference, Tina Iosefa allowed the two runners home with a double off the left field wall for the 3-0 lead.
Minnesota gained a run back with a solo home run from Sara Groenewegen in the sixth. The Gophers then had a one-out walk and fielder’s choice in the seventh to put two on for Taylor LeMay to complete the rally and bring the visitors a 4-3 win.
Chelsea Wilkinson (9-1) tossed a competitive game in the circle, striking out 10 in the seven frames while giving up eight hits. C. Emanuel led the team at the plate with a 3-for-4 effort while LaZear and Iosefa tabbed two hits each.
For the Gophers, Groenewegen (8-3) earned the win after also striking out 10 with eight hits.
Georgia returns to Jack Turner Stadium on Tuesday with a contest against Boston College scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+/WatchESPN. All regular-season games have free admission.
HOW TO FOLLOW GEORGIA SOFTBALL: For complete information on Georgia softball, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoftball on Twitter and Instagram and UGASoftball on Facebook.
Georgia Bulldog Softball
#19 Minnesota at #9 Georgia
Mar 06, 2016 at Athens, Ga. (Jack Turner Stadium)
Minnesota 4 (13-5)
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| Player | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | so | po | a | lob | |
| Sam Macken 3b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Kayla Wenner lf | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Danielle Parlich 2b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Taylor LeMay c | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 4 | |
| Sara Groenewegen p | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Dani Wagner pr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Paige Palkovich cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Maddie Houlihan 1b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sydney Dwyer ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| Sydney Fabian rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Taylor Chell dp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 29 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 21 | 5 | 8 | |
Georgia 3 (17-2)
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| Player | ab | r | h | rbi | bb | so | po | a | lob | |
| Emanuel, Sydni rf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Emanuel, Cortni cf | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hugo, Alex 2b | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Iosefa, Tina 1b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | |
| Puailoa, Kaylee dp | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| DiCarlo, Alyssa 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| McGuire, Maeve c | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | |
| Sumerlin, Lacey ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| LaZear, Samantha lf | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wilkinson, Chelsea p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 29 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 4 | 7 | |
Score by Innings R H E ----------------------------------------- Minnesota........... 000 001 3 - 4 8 1 Georgia............. 000 030 0 - 3 8 0 ----------------------------------------- |
| E – LeMay(2). LOB – Minnesota 8; Georgia 7. 2B – Iosefa(4). HR – LeMay(1); Groenewegen(3). HBP – Palkovich; Houlihan; McGuire. SB – Parlich(3). Reached on CI – Hugo. |
| Minnesota | ip | h | r | er | bb | so | wp | bk | hbp | ibb | ab | bf | fo | go | np |
| Sara Groenewegen W,8-3 | 7.0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 31 | 5 | 6 | 109 |
| Georgia | ip | h | r | er | bb | so | wp | bk | hbp | ibb | ab | bf | fo | go | np |
| Wilkinson, Chelsea L,9-1 | 7.0 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 33 | 6 | 5 | 135 |
| Win – Groenewegen (8-3). Loss – Wilkinson (9-1). Save – None. HBP – by Wilkinson (Palkovich); by Wilkinson (Houlihan); by Groenewegen (McGuire). CI – LeMay. Pitches/strikes: Groenewegen 109/86; Wilkinson 135/95.Umpires – HP: Rodney Graves 1B: Bob Selz 3B: Allen Hardy Start: 2:34 pm Time: 2:23 Attendance: 467 Weather: 63 degrees, Sunny |