University of Georgia Athletics
Chambley Does It All In Bulldog Win
May 23, 2021 | Softball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
In an action-packed game — a 10-9 Georgia softball win over No. 13 Duke Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium to win the NCAA Athens Regional — Bulldog freshman Sydney Chambley did her fair share.
At the plate, Chambley went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the fifth inning and then drove in the go-ahead run in the six. The left fielder from Dallas, Ga., also came up with a highlight-reel play in the outfield, making a superb diving catch to end the sixth inning with the game tied 9-9.
"What can you say about Sydney Chambley? She was amazing on offense and defense today," said Georgia coach Lu Harris-Champer, whose Bulldogs advanced to the 11th Super Regional in program history.
It was a memorable Athens Regional for Chambley, who in her first career NCAA tournament game, Friday, belted a grand slam to finish off Western Kentucky, 11-3, in Georgia's opening game.
After that blast Friday, a no-doubter, teammate and fellow Sydney, second baseman Sydney Kuma, said it was just Chambley doing what the Bulldogs have come to expect.
"You can't get anything better than that," Kuma said. "We were all calling it in the dugout. Sydney is Sydney. She's going to do her thing."
A lot of Bulldogs did their thing Sunday. Leadoff batter Savana Sikes had two hits and scored four runs — she was twice hit by a pitch; Kuma had two hits and three RBIs; designated player Sara Mosley crushed a three-run homer in the third, scoring Sikes and Kuma and answering Duke's three runs scored in the top of the inning, and later scored the game-winning run.
Sikes scored in the bottom of the first on a Jayda Kearney double, putting Georgia up 1-0. Facing Bulldogs pitcher Britton Rogers, Duke was able to score three unearned runs in the top of the third, before Mosley's smash put Georgia back in front, 4-3.
The Blue Devils, the ACC champions making their first NCAA tournament appearance, scored four more unearned runs in the top of the fourth, going ahead 7-4. And again, Georgia responded.
With Ellie Armistead and Sikes already on base, Kuma singled down the left-field line, scoring Armistead and advancing Sikes to third. Moments later, Sikes scored on a wild pitch, cutting Duke's lead to 7-6.
Duke went up 9-6 in the fifth on a two-run homer, and Georgia responded with three more runs to tie the game.
First was Chambley's leadoff solo shot to left-center field. Two batters later, Jaiden Fields and Sikes singled back to back, bringing Kuma to the plate. She came through with a two-run single to center field, tying the game 9-9.
In the sixth, with graduate Mary Wilson Avant taking over in the circle, Georgia shut Duke down in order. The final out came on Chambley's diving catch, which despite all she did at the plate was her favorite moment of the day, she said.
Georgia headed to the bottom of the sixth with the game tied 9-9 and with the luxury of knowing that because of the Bulldogs' 2-0 record in the regional so far, including a 1-0 win over Duke on Saturday, if this game went awry late, there would be a deciding game to follow.
That was a "luxury" Georgia had earned, Harris-Champer said, but it wasn't something she allowed herself to think about during the back-and-forth game.
"For me, it's like, let's get this game right now," she said. "It is a luxury to have, it is something that the team earned by what they did the last two days, so that's great for them. But all in all, it's this game, this opportunity right here, right now, that really counts."
Mosley led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, followed by a Kearney single to right. And then Chambley stepped into the batter's box fresh off her solo shot in the previous inning and the diving catch a couple of minutes before.
If you watch a lot of softball and baseball, you'll often see a player make a great defensive play and then come right back and do something big at the plate. Chambley said she didn't feed off her great catch, though, instead it was Mosley and Kearney in front of her that did it.
"When you pass the bat — we talk about that a lot — it's effective; hitting is contagious," she said. "We hit the ball good today and I knew, if they could do it then I could do it."
Chambley came through again, ripping an RBI single into the gap in left field, scoring Mosley for what proved to be the game-winner.
Chmabley said one reason she's played so well as a freshman this season — she's second on the team with a .311 batting average, to go along with 11 homers and 35 RBIs — is that the veterans on the team have been so encouraging and have shown time and again their faith in her.
"I knew that they believed in me," she said, "and so by allowing me to be on the field with them and competing, it means so much to me just to give my best for them."
Chambley also showed leadership in the dugout. Harris-Champer said that after Duke went ahead by three or four runs — she couldn't remember which inning it was — Chambley got the team together between innings and fired everyone up with her positivity.
"You could just feel the joy for her and for her team," Harris-Champer said, "and I'm so proud of her for her leadership in the dugout and the way that she played her heart out on the field."
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Staff Writer
In an action-packed game — a 10-9 Georgia softball win over No. 13 Duke Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium to win the NCAA Athens Regional — Bulldog freshman Sydney Chambley did her fair share.
At the plate, Chambley went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the fifth inning and then drove in the go-ahead run in the six. The left fielder from Dallas, Ga., also came up with a highlight-reel play in the outfield, making a superb diving catch to end the sixth inning with the game tied 9-9.
"What can you say about Sydney Chambley? She was amazing on offense and defense today," said Georgia coach Lu Harris-Champer, whose Bulldogs advanced to the 11th Super Regional in program history.
It was a memorable Athens Regional for Chambley, who in her first career NCAA tournament game, Friday, belted a grand slam to finish off Western Kentucky, 11-3, in Georgia's opening game.
After that blast Friday, a no-doubter, teammate and fellow Sydney, second baseman Sydney Kuma, said it was just Chambley doing what the Bulldogs have come to expect.
"You can't get anything better than that," Kuma said. "We were all calling it in the dugout. Sydney is Sydney. She's going to do her thing."
A lot of Bulldogs did their thing Sunday. Leadoff batter Savana Sikes had two hits and scored four runs — she was twice hit by a pitch; Kuma had two hits and three RBIs; designated player Sara Mosley crushed a three-run homer in the third, scoring Sikes and Kuma and answering Duke's three runs scored in the top of the inning, and later scored the game-winning run.
Sikes scored in the bottom of the first on a Jayda Kearney double, putting Georgia up 1-0. Facing Bulldogs pitcher Britton Rogers, Duke was able to score three unearned runs in the top of the third, before Mosley's smash put Georgia back in front, 4-3.
The Blue Devils, the ACC champions making their first NCAA tournament appearance, scored four more unearned runs in the top of the fourth, going ahead 7-4. And again, Georgia responded.
With Ellie Armistead and Sikes already on base, Kuma singled down the left-field line, scoring Armistead and advancing Sikes to third. Moments later, Sikes scored on a wild pitch, cutting Duke's lead to 7-6.
Duke went up 9-6 in the fifth on a two-run homer, and Georgia responded with three more runs to tie the game.
First was Chambley's leadoff solo shot to left-center field. Two batters later, Jaiden Fields and Sikes singled back to back, bringing Kuma to the plate. She came through with a two-run single to center field, tying the game 9-9.
In the sixth, with graduate Mary Wilson Avant taking over in the circle, Georgia shut Duke down in order. The final out came on Chambley's diving catch, which despite all she did at the plate was her favorite moment of the day, she said.
Georgia headed to the bottom of the sixth with the game tied 9-9 and with the luxury of knowing that because of the Bulldogs' 2-0 record in the regional so far, including a 1-0 win over Duke on Saturday, if this game went awry late, there would be a deciding game to follow.
That was a "luxury" Georgia had earned, Harris-Champer said, but it wasn't something she allowed herself to think about during the back-and-forth game.
"For me, it's like, let's get this game right now," she said. "It is a luxury to have, it is something that the team earned by what they did the last two days, so that's great for them. But all in all, it's this game, this opportunity right here, right now, that really counts."
Mosley led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, followed by a Kearney single to right. And then Chambley stepped into the batter's box fresh off her solo shot in the previous inning and the diving catch a couple of minutes before.
If you watch a lot of softball and baseball, you'll often see a player make a great defensive play and then come right back and do something big at the plate. Chambley said she didn't feed off her great catch, though, instead it was Mosley and Kearney in front of her that did it.
"When you pass the bat — we talk about that a lot — it's effective; hitting is contagious," she said. "We hit the ball good today and I knew, if they could do it then I could do it."
Chambley came through again, ripping an RBI single into the gap in left field, scoring Mosley for what proved to be the game-winner.
Chmabley said one reason she's played so well as a freshman this season — she's second on the team with a .311 batting average, to go along with 11 homers and 35 RBIs — is that the veterans on the team have been so encouraging and have shown time and again their faith in her.
"I knew that they believed in me," she said, "and so by allowing me to be on the field with them and competing, it means so much to me just to give my best for them."
Chambley also showed leadership in the dugout. Harris-Champer said that after Duke went ahead by three or four runs — she couldn't remember which inning it was — Chambley got the team together between innings and fired everyone up with her positivity.
"You could just feel the joy for her and for her team," Harris-Champer said, "and I'm so proud of her for her leadership in the dugout and the way that she played her heart out on the field."
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Assistant Sports Communications Director 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.
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