The University of Georgia softball team shut out national seed (13) Duke Blue Devils Saturday afternoon, 1-0. With the victory, Georgia punches its ticket to the NCAA Athens Regional final set for Sunday at noon. 

The Bulldogs will play the winner of Game 5, set to be played Saturday evening. Duke will take on the winner of Game 4 between Western Kentucky and UNCG. 

Graduate pitcher Mary Wilson Avant (17-10) worked the complete-game shutout in the circle for Georgia (31-21). She limited the Blue Devils (43-11) to just two hits, carrying a one-hitter into the seventh inning. 

The Bulldogs out-hit the Blue Devils 5-2. Freshman Ellie Armistead provided the difference maker in the contest, hitting a solo home run in the third inning. Junior Lacey Fincher provided two hits and has four on the weekend. 

Armistead picked up her first NCAA Tournament home run in the top of the third, hitting a solo shot off the video board in left to put Georgia ahead 1-0. The home run was her sixth of her rookie campaign. 

Avant held on to a one-hitter entering the seventh inning. Duke’s second hit was a one-out double to right in the bottom of the seventh to put the potential tying run on base. Avant struck out the next hitter for the second out of the inning. A foul out to left ended the game and secured Georgia’s spot in the final. 

Head Coach Lu Harris-Champer
Opening Statement…
“I’m just really proud of the team. I thought we came out and played really hard. I thought Duke played a really good game too. Their pitcher, Peyton St. George, did an outstanding job, but I’m also really proud of Mary [Wilson Avant]. She also pitched outstanding today. Our defense was really fun to watch. They were right where they needed to be all day, and I thought Mary made some big pitches when she needed to make some big pitches. I can’t say enough about Ellie Armistead taking a good hack at the ball and having good results with it.”

On Mary Wilson Avant’s ability to rise to the occasion in big games…
“I think it’s just genuinely being who she is and trusting her stuff. She comes out and works hard every single day. She’s incredibly selfless, is all about the team, and is just “Steady Eddie.” She works hard day-in-and-day-out, and if you do that, things work out for you.”

On the advantage of having players with postseason experience…
“I think it definitely helped having experience, but that’s why we train all year long, to come in and trust our training. At this point in the game, you have to trust what you do, love the game, and play hard together.”

Graduate Mary Wilson Avant
On her electric game…
“I thought I had decent movement on all my pitches, so I was able to work around the zone instead of just working one pitch most of the way.”

On having postseason experience…
“I think being in the postseason before has helped. This is our first weekend at full capacity, so I’ve been in the loud stadium, the electric environment before. I think that allowed me to just work our process.”

On what it means to pitch in a postseason game…
“I think every game, you just have to come out in that compete mindset and just attack the batters. You have your movement, and you just have to trust every pitch no matter if it’s a ball or a strike.”

On her defense behind her…
“Our defense was on fire today. We’ve worked really hard during this past week and a half since we got back from the SEC tournament. We’ve been working on a lot of fundamentals, and it really showed today. I’m really proud of the defense.”

On what has changed since the SEC tournament…
“One of the big things that Coach Tony [Baldwin] has been saying is that everyone needs to focus on doing their job when it’s that time. I think that each player has been doing that really well. When something goes wrong or astray, then the next person has them. If someone strikes out, they’re making a good play in the field and vice versa.”

Freshman Ellie Armistead
On having the only run of the game…
“It was exciting. I’m glad I could pull through for the team and just keep winning in the tournament.”

On her homerun at bat…
“I know she was a rise ball pitcher, so I was just trying to keep high on my swing, and I just saw one and swung.”

On playing behind Mary Wilson Avant…
“I just want to do very well with her. She’s a great pitcher, so we don’t have many balls come to us, so when you do you just want to take care of it for her. It’s fun.”

On what it means to play in a NCAA regional…
“It was super cool. There was a lot of cheering, and especially at the end, there was a lot of energy.”