Georgia Opens SEC Play at South Carolina Friday

#15/19 Georgia (20-2, 0-0)
at South Carolina (15-6, 0-0)
Dates: March 11-13, 2022
First Pitch Times:
   Friday – 2 p.m., EST
   Saturday – 2 p.m., EST
   Sunday – 2 p.m., EST
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Stadium: Carolina Softball Stadium

Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+ (Friday, Saturday)
TV: SEC Network (Sunday)
   Play-by-play: Eric Frede
   Analysis: Madison Shipman
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball

The 15th-ranked Georgia softball team opens the 2022 Southeastern Conference schedule this weekend with a three-game series at South Carolina. Friday's first pitch has been moved up to 2 p.m. due to rain in the forecast.

Saturday and Sunday's games will also begin at 2 p.m. at the Carolina Softball Stadium.

Follow the Bulldogs
» Friday and Saturday's games will stream live on SEC Network+.
» Sunday's game will air nationally on SEC Network. Eric Frede and Madison Shipman will be on the call.
» Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule at GeorgiaDogs.com.
» Live Twitter updates will be available on the official Twitter page of Georgia softball, @UGAsoftball.

BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series Histories
South Carolina
» Georgia leads the all-time 41-31
» Georgia is 16-20 in Columbia in the series
» The Bulldogs have won the last two series (2019 in Columbia, 2020 in Athens)
» Georgia has won four of the last five meetings
» From 2008 to 2013, Georgia won 15-of-16 games; however since then, the Bulldogs have only won 8-of-15

A Look at What's Ahead
Georgia hosts rival Georgia Tech in a midweek game next Tuesday in Athens. First pitch of the in-state rivalry is set for 6 p.m. The Bulldogs will then host its final home tournament of the season when Dartmouth, Mercer, and Illinois come to Athens for the UGA Classic beginning next Friday.

Let's Recap
The Bulldogs put together another 5-0 week at home last week with wins over Ohio, UMass, and App State. Georgia slugged its way to victory, knocking 16 home runs in five games. Seven different Bulldogs combined for the 16-homer mark as the team slugged .880 on the weekend. In the circle, freshman Kylie Macy recorded three wins while sophomore Madison Kerpics added a win and two saves all out of the pen. In Wednesday's midweek, Georgia used three home runs in the fifth inning to break a 2-2 tie and go on to defeat Georgia State 6-2, extending its winning streak to 14 games.

Kearney Earns SEC, National Player of the Week
Sophomore outfielder Jayda Kearney was named the SEC and Division I Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week following a tremendous performance during the Bulldog Classic. Kearney hit .727 (8-for-11) in five games of the Bulldog Classic. She slugged 2.000 knocking four home runs and a triple, recording 22 total bases. She drove in 12 runs and scored six times. Her 12 RBI was nearly 30 percent of Georgia's total run production. She concluded the week with a .769 on base clip with no strikeouts. Kearney notched her first career two-home run day in a five-inning victory over App State (3/6) including the first grand slam of her career to put Georgia on the board. She tied a career-best four RBI against Ohio (3/4) then set a new mark of six against App State. Kearney becomes the first Bulldog to be recognized nationally since 2014 when now-assistant coach Chelsea Wilkinson earned the award back-to-back weeks. This is the seventh time a Bulldog has earned the title.

Dogs Dig the Long Ball
Georgia slugged 16 home runs in five games of the Bulldog Classic (3/4-3/6). Prior to the weekend, Georgia ranked 18th in the country with 1.31 home runs per game. After the weekend, the Bulldogs skyrocketed to fifth nationally and first in the SEC with a 1.76 average. Additionally, Georgia ranks second nationally with a .688 slugging percentage.

Macy Tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week
Kylie Macy was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on Feb. 28. The Grayson native highlighted a 5-0 week for the Bulldogs, pitching a five-inning perfect game against Bryant on Feb. 28. Macy struck out 13 of the 15 batters she faced, not allowing a single Bryant hitter on base in Georgia's 18-0 victory. She struck out the first nine batters she faced in the game. Macy's perfect game was the 11th of its kind in Georgia softball history and the first since 2016 when now-assistant coach Chelsea Wilkinson combined with Kylie Bass for perfection at Georgia Tech on April 13 of that season. Wilkinson was also the last Bulldog to record eight-straight strikeouts in a game, also that season.

Pitching Staff has Stellar Week
Georgia put together a 5-0 week Feb. 23-26 with wins over Gardner-Webb, Bryant, and North Carolina. The Bulldog pitching staff held opponents to just five runs in five games and struck out 26 batters. The trio of Kylie Macy, Madison Kerpics, and Britton Rogers combined for all five wins, two shutouts, and 43 K's in 29 innings allowing just two earned runs between the three of them. The week featured a five-inning perfect game from Macy over Bryant Feb. 25, just two days after Rogers fell two outs short of a seven-inning perfect game over Gardner-Webb.

Armistead Has Huge Offensive Weekend
Sophomore shortstop Ellie Armistead put together a strong offensive weekend at the Red & Black Showcase. Armistead hit .615 (8-for13) with three home runs and a pair of triples, slugging 1.615. She touched home eight times herself and drove in seven runs on the weekend. She had a career game against Delaware, recording three hits: two home runs and a triple, with four RBI.

Georgia in the Polls
Georgia rose a spot to No. 15 in the Week Four USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. Georgia dropped one spot in the ESPN/USA Softball poll to 19 while climbing to 18 in the D1Softball poll. Georgia stayed constant at No. 19 in the Softball America poll.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Ellie Armistead

Jayda Kearney

Madison Kerpics

Kylie Macy

Britton Rogers

University of Georgia Athletics