University of Georgia Athletics
Sunday, March 21
Athens, Ga.
12:30 p.m.
University of Georgia
21-3, 2-1
8
vs
7
Missouri
20-6, 1-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Missouri
2
0
0
1
0
0
4
7
10
3
Georgia
0
0
6
0
1
0
1
8
8
3
No. 19 Georgia Outlasts No. 16 Missouri to Win Series, 8-7
March 21, 2021 | Softball
ATHENS, Ga. – The 19th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs held on to defeat No. 16 Missouri 8-7 Sunday afternoon at Jack Turner Stadium to win the Southeastern Conference-opening series.
Missouri (20-6, 1-2) plated four runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 7-7. Georgia (21-3, 2-1) won the game in the bottom of the inning on an errant throw to the plate by Missouri's third baseman to score the winning run for the Bulldogs.
Freshmen Jayda Kearney and Ellie Armistead each scattered a pair of hits at the bottom of Georgia's lineup. Armistead's two hits were a home run and a triple, driving in three runs. As a team, the Bulldogs hit three home runs, all in the third inning.
Graduate Mary Wilson Avant (11-1) earned her second win in as many days. She pitched seven complete innings in her start. She fanned seven Tigers and walked three.
A two-run home run by Kim Wert put Missouri ahead 2-0 in the opening frame.
Sophomore Sydney Kuma led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run to put Georgia on the board, 2-1. Two batters later, junior Lacey Fincher knocked her 10th home run of the season, a two-run blast, to put Georgia ahead 3-2. Later in the inning, Kearney drove in redshirt-sophomore Jaiden Fields, widening the advantage to 4-2. Armistead then hit her second home run of the season to straight-away center to complete the six-run inning for Georgia, 6-2.
Missouri pushed a run across on an RBI fielder's choice in the fourth to make it a three-run game, 6-3.
Armistead hit a two-out triple off the wall in right center to drive in pinch runner Hayley Eaton in the sixth to bring the lead back to four for Georgia, 7-3.
Missouri mounted its comeback in the top of the seventh, starting it off wit three-straight one-out singles to push in a run. An error by the shortstop allowed a second run to score followed by another RBI single to make it a one-run game, 7-6. The tying run came in to score on a bases-loaded infield single. On the play, the defense recorded the third out on a rundown at third base.
A leadoff fielding error by the Tiger shortstop opened the door for Georgia in the bottom of the inning, allowing sophomore Sara Mosley to reach. Freshman Sydney Chambley doubled down the right field line to put runners in scoring position. Kearney put the ball in play and it was fielded by the third baseman. The throw home sailed over the catcher's head, allowing Mosley to score and securing the win for Georgia, 8-7.
Georgia is set to host Georgia Southern at Jack Turner Stadium Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Head Coach Lu Harris-Champer
On Sydney Chambley's performance defensively and at the plate…
"Absolutely outstanding, she just went out there and played hard. She played the batters in the right locations and then got great reads. She works hard every single day in practice, and it's showing up in games. I'm really happy for her and proud of her."
On the three home runs in the third inning…
"It was a lot of fun. They trust their training, come out, and stuck to the process. When they go after the game plan, good things happen. It's just fun to see them go out there relaxed, loosen up, and play softball."
On what helped pull out the win…
"I think a lot of really good things happened throughout the weekend. Jaiden Fields was amazing. Obviously, Mary Wilson [Avant] was Mary Wilson. She's an outstanding leader for our team. What I think really helped us pull this one out today and get to out of the series was just the team synergy, the team fight together, they band together and fight. Again, I'm just really proud of the girls because when we get punched, we have to punch back. We just have to keep playing, get back up and keep playing. It's all about the response and the rebound."
Sophomore Sydney Kuma
On how she prepared for today's game…
"I struggled really badly yesterday, but my whole mentality was that it was a new day, a new opportunity to be great and do what I do. That's really what got me through the day today."
On how she improved her hitting today…
"I know I have quite a bit of home runs, but I never just aim to hit home runs. Once I get my swing off, it just takes off. We've been preparing for this team for a whole week now and being able to get my bat to where I've been practicing to get it is the result I wanted to have. It's good not just for me but for the whole team, as well. We worked hard and got what we wanted."
Freshman Sydney Chambley
On how she prepared for today's game…
"I really trusted the process that we have been doing at practice all week, and I just trusted my coaches, our training, and my team to have my back."
On her catches in the third inning…
"I was thinking of my team the whole time, knowing that they have my back, so I want to have their back. So, whatever I could do to get us out of the inning or to pick us up, that's what I was planning on doing."
Missouri (20-6, 1-2) plated four runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game at 7-7. Georgia (21-3, 2-1) won the game in the bottom of the inning on an errant throw to the plate by Missouri's third baseman to score the winning run for the Bulldogs.
Freshmen Jayda Kearney and Ellie Armistead each scattered a pair of hits at the bottom of Georgia's lineup. Armistead's two hits were a home run and a triple, driving in three runs. As a team, the Bulldogs hit three home runs, all in the third inning.
Graduate Mary Wilson Avant (11-1) earned her second win in as many days. She pitched seven complete innings in her start. She fanned seven Tigers and walked three.
A two-run home run by Kim Wert put Missouri ahead 2-0 in the opening frame.
Sophomore Sydney Kuma led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run to put Georgia on the board, 2-1. Two batters later, junior Lacey Fincher knocked her 10th home run of the season, a two-run blast, to put Georgia ahead 3-2. Later in the inning, Kearney drove in redshirt-sophomore Jaiden Fields, widening the advantage to 4-2. Armistead then hit her second home run of the season to straight-away center to complete the six-run inning for Georgia, 6-2.
Missouri pushed a run across on an RBI fielder's choice in the fourth to make it a three-run game, 6-3.
Armistead hit a two-out triple off the wall in right center to drive in pinch runner Hayley Eaton in the sixth to bring the lead back to four for Georgia, 7-3.
Missouri mounted its comeback in the top of the seventh, starting it off wit three-straight one-out singles to push in a run. An error by the shortstop allowed a second run to score followed by another RBI single to make it a one-run game, 7-6. The tying run came in to score on a bases-loaded infield single. On the play, the defense recorded the third out on a rundown at third base.
A leadoff fielding error by the Tiger shortstop opened the door for Georgia in the bottom of the inning, allowing sophomore Sara Mosley to reach. Freshman Sydney Chambley doubled down the right field line to put runners in scoring position. Kearney put the ball in play and it was fielded by the third baseman. The throw home sailed over the catcher's head, allowing Mosley to score and securing the win for Georgia, 8-7.
Georgia is set to host Georgia Southern at Jack Turner Stadium Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Head Coach Lu Harris-Champer
On Sydney Chambley's performance defensively and at the plate…
"Absolutely outstanding, she just went out there and played hard. She played the batters in the right locations and then got great reads. She works hard every single day in practice, and it's showing up in games. I'm really happy for her and proud of her."
On the three home runs in the third inning…
"It was a lot of fun. They trust their training, come out, and stuck to the process. When they go after the game plan, good things happen. It's just fun to see them go out there relaxed, loosen up, and play softball."
On what helped pull out the win…
"I think a lot of really good things happened throughout the weekend. Jaiden Fields was amazing. Obviously, Mary Wilson [Avant] was Mary Wilson. She's an outstanding leader for our team. What I think really helped us pull this one out today and get to out of the series was just the team synergy, the team fight together, they band together and fight. Again, I'm just really proud of the girls because when we get punched, we have to punch back. We just have to keep playing, get back up and keep playing. It's all about the response and the rebound."
Sophomore Sydney Kuma
On how she prepared for today's game…
"I struggled really badly yesterday, but my whole mentality was that it was a new day, a new opportunity to be great and do what I do. That's really what got me through the day today."
On how she improved her hitting today…
"I know I have quite a bit of home runs, but I never just aim to hit home runs. Once I get my swing off, it just takes off. We've been preparing for this team for a whole week now and being able to get my bat to where I've been practicing to get it is the result I wanted to have. It's good not just for me but for the whole team, as well. We worked hard and got what we wanted."
Freshman Sydney Chambley
On how she prepared for today's game…
"I really trusted the process that we have been doing at practice all week, and I just trusted my coaches, our training, and my team to have my back."
On her catches in the third inning…
"I was thinking of my team the whole time, knowing that they have my back, so I want to have their back. So, whatever I could do to get us out of the inning or to pick us up, that's what I was planning on doing."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Avant, Mary Wilson (11-1)
L: Emma Nichols (3-2)
Batting:
2B: Brooke Wilmes 1
HR: Kim Wert 1
RBI: Kim Wert 3 ; Jenna Laird 2 ; Abby George 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brooke Wilmes 1 ; Cayla Kessinger 1 ; Hatti Moore 1 ; Kim Wert 1 ; Jazmyn Rollin 1 ; Imani Myint 1 ; Alex Honnold 1
SB: Brooke Wilmes 1 ; Jenna Laird 1
Batting:
2B: Fields, Jaiden 1 ; Chambley, Sydney 1
3B: Armistead, Ellie 1
HR: Kuma, Sydney 1 ; Fincher, Lacey 1 ; Armistead, Ellie 1
RBI: Kuma, Sydney 1 ; Fincher, Lacey 2 ; Kearney, Jayda 1 ; Armistead, Ellie 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Kuma, Sydney 1 ; Sikes, Savana 1 ; Fincher, Lacey 1 ; Mosley, Sara 1 ; Fields, Jaiden 1 ; Eaton, Hayley 1 ; Kearney, Jayda 1 ; Armistead, Ellie 1
Game Leaders
cf/rf
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF/1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballGeorgia Softball vs Florida NCAA Super Regional Game 3 Postgame Press Conference
Monday, May 26
Georgia Softball vs Florida NCAA Super Regional Game 2 Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, May 24
Georgia Softball vs Florida NCAA Super Regional Game 2 TV Highlights
Saturday, May 24
Georgia Softball vs Florida NCAA Super Regional Postgame Press Conference
Friday, May 23