#6 Georgia (30-3, 7-2 SEC) at #7/10 Tennessee (30-4, 3-3 SEC)
Dates: Mar. 31-Apr. 2, 2018
Time: 5/6/7 p.m., EDT
Location: Knoxville, Tenn.
Stadium: Sherri Parker Lee Stadium
Media Information
TV: SEC Network
Streaming Video: SEC Network+
Play-by-play: Courtney Lyle
Analysis: Jenny Dalton-Hill
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball
#6 Georgia takes to the road for a three-game Southeastern Conference series at #7/10 Tennessee Easter weekend. The series will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. Easter Sunday’s game will throw first pitch at 6 with the finale set for 7 on Monday.
Follow the Bulldogs
» This weekend’s series will air live on the SEC Network. Courtney Lyle will provide play-by-play while Jenny Dalton-Hill will provide analysis.
» The series will stream live on the SEC Network+ via the ESPN app.
» Saturday’s game will air live on 90.5 FM WUOG and WUOG.org. Myan Patel will be on the call.
» Live stats will be available. Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule at GeorgiaDogs.com.
» Live Twitter updates will be available all season long at @UGAsoftball.
Georgia Softball Notebook
Georgia trails 30-39
» Georgia and Tennessee last met in 2016 in Athens
» Georgia won the last meeting, breaking a nine-game losing streak to the Lady Vols
» Tennessee has won four of the last five series
» Georgia’s record in Knoxville is 15-16 compared to its 13-18 record in Athens
A Look Back
Georgia won its third-straight SEC series over the weekend, taking two-of-three games on the road at #21 Mississippi State. Georgia was three outs away from being swept on the weekend as the Bulldogs found themselves down a run in the seventh with two outs in every game. Alyssa DiCarlo hit a game-tying home run in game one followed by a two-run shot by Mahlena O’Neal to put Georgia ahead, 4-2. Georgia tied the game on Saturday but fell in the bottom of the seventh, 5-4. Sunday’s rubber game was no different. Down 2-1, Ciara Bryan punched a two-run single with two out to capture a 3-2 lead and Brittany Gray retired MSU in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the series for Georgia.
A Look Ahead
Georgia will set its sights on a midweek game at rival Georgia Tech Wednesday. First pitch in Atlanta is slated for 7 p.m. The Bulldogs will return to Athens for an eight-game homestand beginning with a series against Missouri Apr. 6-8.
Georgia in the Top 25
The Bulldogs continued climbing to #6 in the week seven USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. Georgia also came in at #6 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. Six is Georgia’s highest ranking in the NCFA poll since being top four much of the 2011 season.
Georgia’s rankings this season:
Preseason: 25
Week 1: 17
Week 2: 14
Week 3: 14
Week 4: 11
Week 5: 10/12
Week 6: 7
Week 7: 6
Despite finishing last in the SEC a season ago with a 6-18 record, the Bulldogs dropped out of the NFCA Poll only one week. It was the first time Georgia had been outside the top 25 since 2013.
Winning Series is Key
Georgia has opened Southeastern Conference play winning three-straight series. The last time Georgia accomplished that feat was 2012, winning series against Mississippi State, Auburn, and Ole Miss to begin conference play. Georgia won all but one league series in 2006, a season after winning all 10 series in 2005.
Down But Not Out
In the road series at Mississippi State, Georgia found itself down a run in the top seventh with two out in every game. The Bulldogs either tied or took a lead in each game with one out left, winning games Friday and Sunday.
Georgia has come back to win three games when trailing after six innings this season, the other in the series opener against Florida.
In SEC games, Georgia has scored nine seventh-inning runs, 21 percent of runs scored. The Bulldogs are 4-2 when tied or trailing after six innings in league play. 33 percent of Georgia’s runs in league play have come in the fifth inning or later.
A Run for the Ages
Georgia softball’s 25-game win streak tied the all-time record. The streak ran from Feb. 9 to Mar. 17. The Bulldogs tied the record from May 6, 2001-Mar. 3, 2002 of the same mark. Georgia opened the 2002 season 24-0.
DiCarlo Named ESPNW Player of the Week
DiCarlo led the team with four home runs last week, driving in nine total runs. She hit two home runs in the series opener against #2 Florida including a two-run walk-off in the bottom of the seventh. She finished the weekend against the Gators with four extra-base hits, recording 14 bases while hitting .400 with a 1.400 slugging percentage.
DiCarlo is the first Georgia softball student-athlete to earn the award from ESPNW. She becomes the first national player of the week from Georgia since Chelsea Wilkinson earned NFCA honors on May 13, 2014.
Dawg Nation, This Is You
Georgia softball set a new attendance record twice against #2 Florida. The record was broken during game two when 2,011 were on hand. The record was topped the next day as 2,457 faithful packed the stadium to capacity.
There’s No Place Like The Jack
Georgia has played 25 games at Jack Turner Stadium this season, winning 24 of said contests. The Bulldogs have nearly topped their home winning total from the past three seasons (24, 2017; 23, 2016; 26, 2015). Georgia is .783 at home with 560 wins.
Solid in the Circle
The Georgia pitching staff has been sharp this season, recording a 1.08 ERA through 33 games and 214 innings. Georgia’s ERA is the second-best in the SEC and fifth in the nation. The staff has struck out 254 opposing hitters, allowing only 33 earned runs and putting 16 shutouts in the books.
Brittany Gray has the second-best ERA in the country at 0.47. She did not allow an earned run until her 14th appearance this season. She has allowed just 3.24 hits per seven innings pitched, ranking seventh in NCAA.
A Power-Packed Offense
At the plate, Georgia leads the SEC in five offensive categories including batting average (.364), slugging (.593), runs scored (236), home runs (44), and total bases (518).
In the country, Georgia’s team batting average ranks second to UCLA. The Bulldogs lead the NCAA in slugging while coming in fourth in on base pct. and in second scoring (7.15 runs/game).