Georgia Holds on to Edge Missouri, 4-3

Thursday, April 14

Columbia, Mo.

6:00 p.m.

University of Georgia

34-8, 8-5

Missouri

24-16, 4-8

Georgia

Mizzou

April 14, 2022 | Softball

Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. – No. 14/13 Georgia softball edged out the Missouri Tigers in game one of the series Thursday evening at the Mizzou Softball Stadium, 4-3.

The Bulldogs climb to 34-8 on the season and 8-5 in conference play. Georgia has won the series opener in all five conference series this season.

The Bulldogs plated their four runs in the first three innings of the contest. Georgia's eight hits came from five different hitters including two-hit performances from Sydney Kuma, Jayda Kearney, and Lyndi Rae Davis. Kearney's two hits combined with two walks had her on base four times in the game.

All four of Georgia's runs came with two outs.

Sophomore Madison Kerpics (15-3) went the distance in the circle. She fanned six Tiger hitters, allowing three runs on eight hits, allowing just two walks.

What looked to have been a 1-2-3 inning to begin the game, Georgia caught a couple breaks and capitalized on them to push two runs across. A pair of two-out walks put two Bulldogs on. Kearney worked a nine-pitch at-bat into an RBI single through the left side to put Georgia ahead 1-0. After loading the bases, Davis legged out an infield single to plate Lacey Fincher, widening the first inning lead to 2-0.

The Tigers (24-16, 4-8) answered back in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead back to one, 2-1.

A two-out solo home run to centerfield off the bat of Kuma, her 11^th of the season, widened the lead back to two at 3-1 in the top of the second.

More two-out production came for the Bulldogs in the third when Ellie Armistead dropped a base hit into left, plating Jaiden Fields and going up three, 4-1.

Missouri's Kim Wert used a two-out base hit back up the middle to plate one run in the home half of the third, 4-2. Cassidy Chaumont cut Georgia's lead to one with a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the fifth, 4-3.

Kerpics was able to hold the Tigers scoreless in the sixth and seventh to secure the victory.

Game two of the series is set for 1 p.m., ET, Friday from Columbia. The game is set for a nationally televised audience on SEC Network.