University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldogs Delivered ‘When It Really Mattered’
May 19, 2024 | Softball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Dallis Goodnight had barely touched home plate and scored the game-winning run when she and her Georgia softball teammates were turning and sprinting toward Sydney Chambley, who delivered the Athens Regional-winning RBI in the bottom of the seventh inning.
It was a long Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium for the No. 11-seeded Bulldogs, who had to beat Liberty twice to move on in the NCAA tournament. The first win came pretty easily, a 14-5 offensive eruption that included 17 hits and six Bulldog home runs — the most in a game since 2016 — including two from Chambley. The second win, a 3-2 nail-biter, couldn't have been more different.
"Wow, what a day," Georgia coach Tony Baldwin said after his squad produced some late-inning magic to keep their season going.
In the first game Sunday, Liberty starting pitcher Elena Escobar was done after 3.0 innings, having surrendered seven hits and six runs. In the winner-moves-on game, Escobar was outstanding throughout. She had 10 strikeouts entering the seventh inning, having held the Bulldogs scoreless through five innings. Georgia (43-17) scored an unearned run in the sixth to cut Liberty's lead in half, and the Flames (38-25) led 2-1 heading into Georgia's final turn at the plate.
"Elena, the way she bounced back in the second game, was as good as anybody we've seen," Baldwin said.
Before Georgia could have a shot at tying with a run or winning with two in the bottom of the seventh, they had to stop the Flames from adding to their lead. In the top of the inning, with Lilly Backes still pitching very well for the Bulldogs, the defense made two huge plays to avoid trouble. Shortstop Ellie Armistead made an outstanding diving grab for the first out of the inning, and then Jaydyn Goodwin made a great running catch in left field for the second.
After Georgia got the third out on a lazy fly ball — Backes finished having allowed two runs on four hits in the complete game — the offense had one last shot. And it delivered.
Goodwin led off the inning and was robbed of a hit by a great catch by left-fielder KK Madrey at the wall. Emily Digby then came up with a one-out single to center and then moved to second on an Armistead sacrifice bunt. Goodnight then smacked a chopper up the middle, scoring Digby from second and tying the game 2-2.
With the Georgia crowd going bonkers, Chambley belted a single to center field that brought the speedy Goodnight in from second and set off a spirited celebration. Georgia played one of the toughest schedules in the country during the regular season, and it did so for days like this, Baldwin said. When the moment was at its biggest, his players responded.
"They've been telling us for weeks now that this schedule we've played is going to pay off and make us stronger. It was like, 'Is it? Really? Because it doesn't necessarily feel like that right now,'" Baldwin said.
"I do think that the strength of our schedule and what we've been through paid off today with our resilience and our ability to execute when it really mattered."
Of course, Georgia doesn't get to play a deciding game if it didn't take care of business in the early game. Because the Bulldogs lost to Liberty earlier in the regional, the Flames only had to win once Sunday to advance to the Los Angeles Super Regional. Georgia had to win twice, and it did.
In the first game, Jayda Kearney homered in the first and Sara Mosley later scored on an error for a 2-0 early lead. Lyndi Rae Davis added a two-run homer in the third, and in the fourth, Digby and Davis hit two-run shots, part of a five-run inning. Later, Chambley and Mosley added solo shots in the seventh to give the Bulldogs more than enough insurance.
For Kearney and Mosley, their homers in the first game were the 20th of the season for each. Despite the Bulldogs' rich history, this marked the first time that Georgia has ever had two players with 20-plus homers in the same season.
Escobar and the Flames did a good job of keeping Georgia's big bats quiet in the deciding game — Kearney and Mosley were held to one hit each — but eventually, the Bulldogs found a way to survive and advance.
In the sixth, Chambley walked, moved to second on a Mosley single, and scored following an error in the outfield. The seal had been broken, and then in the seventh, after some defensive help in the top of the inning, the Bulldogs came up with enough magic to keep playing.
"Can't say enough about how proud I am of our group," Baldwin said, "and how excited and thrilled I am that we get to play some more softball."
Staff Writer
Dallis Goodnight had barely touched home plate and scored the game-winning run when she and her Georgia softball teammates were turning and sprinting toward Sydney Chambley, who delivered the Athens Regional-winning RBI in the bottom of the seventh inning.
It was a long Sunday at Jack Turner Stadium for the No. 11-seeded Bulldogs, who had to beat Liberty twice to move on in the NCAA tournament. The first win came pretty easily, a 14-5 offensive eruption that included 17 hits and six Bulldog home runs — the most in a game since 2016 — including two from Chambley. The second win, a 3-2 nail-biter, couldn't have been more different.
"Wow, what a day," Georgia coach Tony Baldwin said after his squad produced some late-inning magic to keep their season going.
In the first game Sunday, Liberty starting pitcher Elena Escobar was done after 3.0 innings, having surrendered seven hits and six runs. In the winner-moves-on game, Escobar was outstanding throughout. She had 10 strikeouts entering the seventh inning, having held the Bulldogs scoreless through five innings. Georgia (43-17) scored an unearned run in the sixth to cut Liberty's lead in half, and the Flames (38-25) led 2-1 heading into Georgia's final turn at the plate.
"Elena, the way she bounced back in the second game, was as good as anybody we've seen," Baldwin said.
Before Georgia could have a shot at tying with a run or winning with two in the bottom of the seventh, they had to stop the Flames from adding to their lead. In the top of the inning, with Lilly Backes still pitching very well for the Bulldogs, the defense made two huge plays to avoid trouble. Shortstop Ellie Armistead made an outstanding diving grab for the first out of the inning, and then Jaydyn Goodwin made a great running catch in left field for the second.
After Georgia got the third out on a lazy fly ball — Backes finished having allowed two runs on four hits in the complete game — the offense had one last shot. And it delivered.
Goodwin led off the inning and was robbed of a hit by a great catch by left-fielder KK Madrey at the wall. Emily Digby then came up with a one-out single to center and then moved to second on an Armistead sacrifice bunt. Goodnight then smacked a chopper up the middle, scoring Digby from second and tying the game 2-2.
With the Georgia crowd going bonkers, Chambley belted a single to center field that brought the speedy Goodnight in from second and set off a spirited celebration. Georgia played one of the toughest schedules in the country during the regular season, and it did so for days like this, Baldwin said. When the moment was at its biggest, his players responded.
"They've been telling us for weeks now that this schedule we've played is going to pay off and make us stronger. It was like, 'Is it? Really? Because it doesn't necessarily feel like that right now,'" Baldwin said.
"I do think that the strength of our schedule and what we've been through paid off today with our resilience and our ability to execute when it really mattered."
Of course, Georgia doesn't get to play a deciding game if it didn't take care of business in the early game. Because the Bulldogs lost to Liberty earlier in the regional, the Flames only had to win once Sunday to advance to the Los Angeles Super Regional. Georgia had to win twice, and it did.
In the first game, Jayda Kearney homered in the first and Sara Mosley later scored on an error for a 2-0 early lead. Lyndi Rae Davis added a two-run homer in the third, and in the fourth, Digby and Davis hit two-run shots, part of a five-run inning. Later, Chambley and Mosley added solo shots in the seventh to give the Bulldogs more than enough insurance.
For Kearney and Mosley, their homers in the first game were the 20th of the season for each. Despite the Bulldogs' rich history, this marked the first time that Georgia has ever had two players with 20-plus homers in the same season.
Escobar and the Flames did a good job of keeping Georgia's big bats quiet in the deciding game — Kearney and Mosley were held to one hit each — but eventually, the Bulldogs found a way to survive and advance.
In the sixth, Chambley walked, moved to second on a Mosley single, and scored following an error in the outfield. The seal had been broken, and then in the seventh, after some defensive help in the top of the inning, the Bulldogs came up with enough magic to keep playing.
"Can't say enough about how proud I am of our group," Baldwin said, "and how excited and thrilled I am that we get to play some more softball."
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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