All Hands (And Bats) Deliver
May 20, 2018 | Softball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
About 20 hours earlier, Alyssa DiCarlo was a one-woman wrecking crew against Northwestern. In a 4-for-4 performance, the Georgia shortstop hit three two-run home runs and drove in half of the Bulldogs' runs in a 12-0 rout at Jack Turner Stadium.
On Sunday afternoon, with a spot in the Super Regional on the line, the seventh-seeded Bulldogs needed all hands on deck to beat the Wildcats and claim the Athens Regional in the NCAA softball tournament. In a 9-7 victory, Georgia utilized some power, some small ball, some very clever base-running and got something of significance from virtually every Bulldog that took the field.
"Generally we call them 'Crew 22' and they are just such a dream," coach Lu Harris-Champer said when asked about the depth and widespread production on display. "They are genuine, selfless and they fight for each other. They're just a joy."
First baseman Alysen Febrey was one of the players that brought the joy Sunday, belting a two-run homer in a four-run fourth inning that gave Georgia (46-11) the lead back for good and later driving in two more runs in the sixth with a triple to center field.
After Saturday's rout, the Bulldogs knew Sunday's rematch would likely be a much different affair. Febrey said the "game was all about who shows up," and boy did she. And she wasn't alone.
Second baseman Justice Milz also delivered some punch, with her own two-run home run in the fourth inning. In all, six different players had hits, four players drove in at least one run and all nine Bulldogs in the batting lineup reached base at least once.
Batting in the No. 8 spot was third baseman Jordan Doggett, who came into the game hitting .262 for the season. On Sunday, the sophomore had the first three-hit game of her career. Four of Georgia's first five hits were from the bottom three in the lineup.
"The bottom half of the lineup is always trying to work the top half [of the plate] and get it up the middle, move people, and do whatever we can for the team," Doggett said. "Everyone in the lineup has to contribute in order to get the win. Sometimes the top half will have off days and we'll have bad days and they'll have our backs.
"It's nice to have eight other people to rely on in the lineup."
The Georgia offensive engine — including an SEC-leading .338 team batting average — has largely been powered this season by the top four or five hitters. DiCarlo has 19 home runs and Milz 14, and between them they have 122 RBIs; they're both also hitting better than .370.
Leadoff hitter extraordinaire Cortni Emanuel's .437 batting average leads the conference, and her 62 runs scored is near the top. She didn't have a hit Sunday, but the senior drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and later drew a walk and scored. Center fielder Ciara Bryan (.341) can hit and run, while Febrey is hitting just below .400 (at .397), has eight homers and 48 RBIs and driving in four Sunday.
The heavier hitters eventually produced against Northwestern (38-19) and helped send Georgia into the Super Regional, where the Bulldogs will host Tennessee next weekend. But it was the bottom of the lineup that got things rolling Sunday.
In the bottom of the second, No. 6 hitter Mahlena O'Neal, the catcher, drew a leadoff walk. Then Kaylie Harding and Doggett both reached with infield singles, loading the bases for Kendall Burton. While Burton is batting ninth of late, it's not because she can't hit. The senior has a .363 average after Sunday's 1-for-2 performance that included an RBI single up the middle in the second for a 1-0 lead.
Emanuel followed that with her sac fly, scoring Harding for a 2-0 lead. But the rout wasn't on.
Georgia starting pitcher Mary Wilson Avant ran into trouble in the third inning and the Wildcats scored four times. Georgia got a run back in the third when DiCarlo singled and later scored on a throwing error. Then came the Milz and Febrey two-run mashes.
Northwestern scored twice more in the fifth, both runs getting in following a throwing error, to cut Georgia's lead to 7-6. Kylie Bass took over in the circle during the inning to begin 3.0 very solid innings of work.
Northwestern, wisely, wasn't going to let the big-hitting DoCarlo shred then again. The Wildcats walked her three times (twice clearly intentionally) and she also got a single, but she didn't dominate. Febrey, who bats fifth, right behind DiCarlo, expected Northwestern to work around DiCarlo and pitch to her instead.
"When you come off a day like she did, I feel like a pitcher has to be scared to throw at you," she said. "I thought that [DiCarlo] would probably get walked, but I was just ready to take my at-bats."
Her last at-bat was a biggie, the two-run triple in the sixth. Milz had led off the inning with a double before giving way to pinch-runner Tyler Armistead, and DiCarlo had been intentionally walked. Following the three times DiCarlo was walked in front of her, Febrey produced a two-run homer and a two-run triple.
"Alyssa is being selfless when she's taking her walks," Febrey said. "She's getting me better pitches, so I went up to the plate ... and I was just ready to hit."
It wasn't a rout like the day before, but the whole Georgia lineup was ready to do what needed doing Sunday. And they'll be ready to do it again next weekend.
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
