University of Georgia Athletics
McCloud Guides Bulldogs To Two Wins In Spring Fling
March 22, 2008 | Softball
McCloud started and earned the win in both contests to improve to 8-2 on the year. In the first game against Albany, McCloud tossed 5.1 innings allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out three. In the second contest versus Kent State, McCloud hurled her sixth complete-game of the year allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out five. Sophomore Kate Gaskill worked the final 1.2 innings against the Great Danes to record her third save of the season.
“Sarah pitched extremely well,” Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer said. “I’m very proud of her for commanding her break and making the batters swing at her pitches.”
“Our defense played well behind Sarah too. Victoria (Sanders) is all heart and she would run through a wall for her teammates,” Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer said of Sanders’ attempted catch on a fall ball that carried her into the tarp. “That’s what Victoria said out there, that she was going to catch it for Sarah.’ That’s why you have got to love Victoria so much. She’s all about her team and she’s all heart.”
Albany’s Leah McIntosh (4-2) and Kent State’s Gabrielle Burns (6-3) each suffered a loss in their respective games.
Georgia took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning against Albany. After senior Melissa Wood singled, sophomore Katie Backer pinch ran and reached third on a pair of wild pitches. Following freshman Taylor Schlopy being hit by a pitch, freshman Jennie Auger delivered a two-run triple to right.
“Jennie had a great at-bat in which she just kept fouling off pitch after pitch, and then finally she got the middle of the ball and took it deep,” Harris-Champer said. “That was a great at-bat.”
In the fifth, the Bulldogs added two more runs to stretch their advantage to 4-0. Sanders doubled down the right field line and moved to third on an infield single from fellow senior Sojourner Moody. After Moody stole second, freshman Alisa Goler provided a two-run single to left.
“It was nice to see the top of our line up apply pressure after we had already scored a couple of runs,” Harris-Champer noted. “That’s what you have to do. You have to keep adding runs. Once again, Goler did a good job of looking for the pitch she wanted to hit.”
Georgia turned to sophomore Kate Gaskill in the sixth after Albany placed runners at second and third with one out. Gaskill recorded two strikeouts to end the threat and went on to pitch a scoreless sixth for the save.
Playing as the visiting team against Kent State, Georgia broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth. Moody reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and then scored when Goler reached on an error by Kent State first baseman Jamie Fitzpatrick. After a walk to Wood advanced Goler to second, freshman Megan Wiggins picked up an RBI with a single through the right side of the infield.
“It was huge for Sojo to come all the way around from second to score on that play,” Harris-Champer said. “Sojo used her speed to her advantage, and Goler did a nice job of hustling down the line as well on that play. Then Megan had another clutch at-bat, and I’m proud of her for doing what she need to do in order to get a run in.”
Moody’s stolen base in the fifth was her second of the day and 10th this season, which moves her career total to 53 and places her tied fifth in school history with Katie Lewis.
In the first Spring Fling game on Saturday, Kent State defeated Albany 4-2.
Play will conclude on Easter Sunday, with Kent State and Albany squaring off for the third time in the tournament at 12 p.m. ET, and Kent State and Georgia meeting for a second time at 2 p.m. Live stats for both games will be available on www.georgiadogs.com.
