University of Georgia softball student-athletes Jaiden Fields and Jayda Kearney have been recognized by the Southeastern Conference for their performance on the diamond last week. Fields was named the SEC Newcomer of the Week and Kearney is the SEC Freshman of the Week.
The Bulldogs took two of three games from then 16th-ranked Missouri over the weekend to open SEC play at Jack Turner Stadium.
Fields, a redshirt-sophomore from Kennesaw, went 5-for-10 on the weekend including a double and a home run. She drove in four runs on the weekend. Her three-run home run in the bottom of the first of Saturday’s game sparked three-straight home runs for Georgia. She later provided a sacrifice fly in the fourth to bolster Georgia’s lead on the Tigers. Her leadoff double in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game led to Georgia’s seventh run of the day.
The Newcomer of the Week award was established by the league this season to recognize student-athletes who were freshmen in the shortened 2020 season.
Kearney, a freshman from Columbus, New Jersey, went 4-for-8 Saturday and Sunday. Her first-career home run came at the end of Georgia’s three-straight homers in the first inning Saturday. She contributed a two-RBI double in the third to widen the Bulldogs’ lead to 10-3. On Sunday, Kearney’s RBI single in the third was part of Georgia’s six-run go-ahead inning in the third. Georgia won Sunday’s rubber game on an error, which Kearney put the ball in play on.
The Bulldogs travel to Ole Miss this weekend for a three-game series with the Rebels. Georgia and Ole Miss begin the series Friday at 7 p.m., ET.