[su_spacer size=”20″] Needing to win two games in one hot and humid day against Western Kentucky, the No. 16/14 Georgia softball team proved up to the task. Georgia handed the Hilltoppers a 12-3 loss in the first game before winning the second game of the day 17-0 in the NCAA Athens Regional on Sunday, May 15 at Jack Turner Stadium. Both wins came by way of the run rule, marking the 23rd and 24th times that Georgia has run ruled and opponent.
[su_spacer size=”40″] With the wins, Georgia will make its eighth appearance in an NCAA Super Regional. The Bulldogs are now 44-15 on the year, while WKU ends its season with an overall record of 36-14.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia 12, Western Kentucky 3 – Five Innings
[su_spacer size=”20″]

[su_spacer size=”20″] The Bulldogs came out swinging in the first game of the day, as it took a 12-3 win over of the Hilltoppers.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Brittany Gray (15-6) got the win in the first game. She allowed three runs, one of which was earned, on six hits and four walks. She also struck out three. Miranda Kramer (26-9) suffered the loss. She lasted just 0.2 innings, but gave up six runs on two hits and four walks. Hannah Parker threw the next 2.0 innings, giving up four runs, one of which was earned, on six hits. Janna Scheff threw the final 2.1 innings. She allowed two runs, one earned, on one hit and two walks.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia’s offense got off on the right foot, taking an 8-0 lead in the first inning. Sydni Emanuel led off the game with a double to left center and then moved to third on a throwing error. With Alex Hugo at the plate, WKU threw a wild pitch that scored S. Emanuel and allowed Hugo to walk. Holding a 1-0 lead and with runners at first and second, Kaylee Puailoa hit a RBI single up the middle that put the Bulldogs up 2-0. With the bases loaded, Niaja Griffin showed patience as she drew a walk on a wild pitch that scored both Tina Iosefa and Puailoa. Cortni Emanuel got in on the action when she ripped a single down the first base line, scoring both Maeve McGuire and Niaja Griffin and giving Georgia a 6-0 lead. S. Emanuel picked up where she left off in her first at bat of the inning with a single to right field, scoring C. Emanuel. After a fielding error from WKU, Hugo reached first and scored S. Emanuel. Georgia scored their eight runs on four hits, three errors, and sent twelve batters to the plate.
[su_spacer size=”20″]

[su_spacer size=”20″] In the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 10-0. After Griffin and C. Emanuel were both hit by a pitch, S. Emanuel sent one to left field, which scored Griffin. A fielding error advanced S. Emanuel to second before Paige Wilson hit an RBI single to right that gave the Bulldogs a 10-0 lead.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Western Kentucky got a run back in the bottom of the fourth after a walk and a pair of singles made it a 10-1 game.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia answered in the fourth, adding two runs to take a 12-1 lead. Anna Swafford showed off her speed after stealing second, advancing to third on an error, before stealing home to make it an 11-1 game. Puailoa followed with a walk to reach base. Pinch runner Adele Harrison advanced to second on an error before coming home on a bunt single by C. Emanuel, giving Georgia a 12-1 lead.
[su_spacer size=”20″]

[su_spacer size=”20″] WKU put two more on the board in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 12-3. After a walk, an error, a fielder’s choice, Shawna Sadler singled to score two runs and make it a 12-3 game.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Gray shut down the offense in the bottom of the fifth, sealing the 12-3, five-inning decision.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Georgia 17, Western Kentucky 0 – Five Innings
[su_spacer size=”10″] The dominating performance continued into the second game of the day. Needing to win to advance to a Super Regional, the Bulldogs took a 17-0 win.
[su_spacer size=”40″] After throwing 24 innings in the previous two days, including a 14-inning marathon on Saturday, Chelsea Wilkinson (28-9) threw a complete-game one-hit shutout to get the win. She faced just two batters over the minimum and struck out three. Miranda Kramer (26-10) suffered the loss. She gave up nine runs on four hits and six walks in 1.2 innings of work. Hannah Parker threw 1.2 innings, giving up six runs, three earned, on six hits. Janna Scheff threw the final 0.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Taking cue from game one, the Bulldogs wasted little time in jumping out to a lead. After a walk and a hit batter put two on, Swafford delivered her first hit of the day with a RBI single up the middle that made it a 1-0 game.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The Bulldogs put up eight runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 9-0 lead. With runners at first and third, S. Emanuel hit into a RBI fielder’s choice. Hugo drew a four-pitch walk to put two on for Paige Wilson, who ripped a two-run single to center that made it a 4-0 game. With the bases loaded, Georgia drew two walks to take a 6-0 lead. With the bases still juiced, Niaja Griffin tripled to right field, driving in three runs that gave Georgia a 9-0 lead.
[su_spacer size=”40″] The scoring continued into the third inning, as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 12-0. A RBI-single by Swafford and a two-run single by McGuire highlighted the inning.
[su_spacer size=”40″] Holding a 12-0 lead, Georgia added five more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. A fielding error and a double put runners at second and third for Wilson, who hit a two-run single that brought the score to 14-0. Swafford made her final at bat at Jack Turner Stadium a memorable one, as she lifted a 1-2 pitch over the right field wall for a three-run home run that put the exclamation point on the 17-0 win. It was her 14th home run of the year.
[su_spacer size=”20″]

[su_spacer size=”20″] Wilkinson slammed the door on the 17-0 win with a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth.
[su_spacer size=”40″] With the wins, Georgia will take on Michigan next weekend in the NCAA Ann Arbor Super Regional. Dates and times will be announced soon.