University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Battery Stays Charged And Productive
May 17, 2015 | Softball
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
ATHENS, Ga. -- Chelsea Wilkinson and Maeve McGuire spent much of their weekend playing catch at Jack Turner Stadium. It was time well spent as the Georgia softball battery (Wilkinson pitches and McGuire catches) helped lead the No. 14-seeded Bulldogs out of the NCAA Tournament's Athens Regional.
On Sunday afternoon, Wilkinson allowed just one hit in the decisive game against Western Kentucky, while McGuire drove in three runs and scored twice in the Bulldogs' 17-0, five-inning thumping.
"When you have a lot of runs like that, it makes our job a whole lot easier," Wilkinson said.
After Georgia (44-15) advanced to the Super Regional, where it will face Michigan in Ann Arbor, McGuire wore a smile bigger than any of the three bags of ice she had strapped to her body (one shoulder, two knees). It was an ice-heavy weekend for the catcher, who worked nearly all of Georgia's five games, including 21 total innings Saturday.
"I had three ice bags on (Friday) night," she said. "I went home, ate and then I went to bed."
She came to the ballpark rested and ready Sunday, as did Wilkinson. A junior right-hander, Wilkinson looked comfortable and composed throughout the decisive game as she earned her 28th win of the season.
"I'm definitely fatigued, obviously, but our trainers do a great job of keeping us healthy and keeping us ready," Wilkinson said. "When you're out there and you're fatigued, you don't really feel it anymore. You're just fighting for your teammates.
"You're definitely not thinking about being sore. You're just telling yourself: seven innings."
The final tally for Wilkinson's weekend: 440 pitches thrown, 29 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts, six walks, 20 hits allowed and five earned runs allowed.
In the early game against the Hilltoppers on Sunday, which Georgia had to win to force a deciding game, Wilkinson's name was on the lineup card UGA coach Lu Harris-Champer turned in, so officially Wilkinson was the starter. But she never threw a pitch or saw any action.
Wilkinson got the game off after the Bulldogs, who were the visiting team, torched the Hilltoppers for eight runs in the top of the first inning, allowing Harris-Champer to save her starter for the Bulldogs' fourth game in two days.
Brittany Gray pitched Georgia's 12-3 win in five innings over the Hilltoppers, which forced the decisive game of the regional.
"I was excited to have the game off and Brittany threw a great game for us," Wilkinson said.
Gray threw 81 pitches in the first game Sunday, which was 81 that Wilkinson didn't have to. It was only a small break for her, but any break in a grueling weekend is welcome -- and valuable. McGuire can certainly relate.
The sophomore was back there for every game during the regional, but did get subbed out midway through the 12-3 win.
"Coach was like, `Maeve, you go sit in the shade and save your legs,'" McGuire said.
Those slightly fresher legs looked mighty spry in the bottom of the second inning of the deciding game, when McGuire sprinted home from third base and scored on a head-first slide to make it 2-0.
John Frierson is a staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Hall of Fame at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. You can follow him on Twitter: @TheFrierson and @ITAHallofFame.
