Georgia softball: Bulldogs lose Sunday, but win series with no. 3 Florida

No. 12 Georgia softball entered the weekend series with a 23-game win streak. The streak snapped Sunday, but the Bulldogs took two victories from the Gators.

A 24-1 Georgia softball team couldn’t seem to get any respect. Apparently a 23-game win streak and a 2-1 record over ranked opponents wasn’t enough for the Bulldogs to enter the top-10. Well how do you like them now?

A 22-1 Florida Gator team came into Athens ranked no. 3 in the nation. And the Bulldogs sent them packing with two new loses. Alyssa DiCarlo lifted Georgia over Florida in game one with a walk-off two-run home run. For game two, Georgia softball set an attendance record while giving Florida their first run rule loss since 2012.

They weren’t able to sweep the Gators on Sunday, but a series victory over the no. 3 team proves that Georgia are contenders. They aren’t in first place in the SEC yet. However a decisive weekend means they will be favored to dominate and eventually win the SEC Championship.

Georgia launches home runs in walk-off win on Friday

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The Bulldog’s power hitters put on a show Friday night by knocking four balls out of Jack Turner Stadium. Although, Florida found ways to keep up and lead Georgia going into the bottom of the seventh. Then a quick rally and DiCarlo’s second home run of the evening gave Georgia then victory.

“Tonight felt amazing. Brittany and Kylie had an amazing game and I just wanted to come out and do all I could for the team. Before I hit the home run I was honestly just trying to hit a line drive. I hit a popup off her earlier and was just waiting for the right ball to hit,” DiCarlo said.

Florida opened the game by scoring one run on two outs and were well on their way to holding that lead through the first inning with three quick outs in the bottom of the inning. But an illegal pitch called gave DiCarlo one more chance.

Then the home run party began. DiCarlo used her second chance to knock her first home run to center field. Alysen Febrey followed with a homer to right field. And then Mahlena O’Neal drove the ball over the left field wall to give Georgia a 3-1 lead.

Florida tied the game with a two-run home run of their own in the second inning. After that, the offenses simmered down and the pitchers took over the game. Until the sixth inning when the Gators moved their first base runner over to third and sent her home with a one-out hit down the third base line.

The run was the first earned run allowed by Brittany Gray all season and she wasn’t about to allow another. She struck out the next batter and the third out was caught in foul territory. The Gators held a 4-3 lead through the rest of the sixth inning.

With one out, Justice Milz stepped up and hit a single to third base. Then DiCarlo sealed the deal with a rocket to right-center. A crowd of teammates awaited her at home plate to celebrate a walk-off victory over the Gators.

Bulldogs run-rule Florida on Saturday

If Friday night was fun because of the walk-off victory, Saturday was fun because, well, it’s always fun to smack around the Gators. Georgia softball hung 11 runs on 10 hits, including seven runs in the third inning to earn a mercy rule victory. The win was even sweeter in front of a crowd of 2,011 fans, a record for Jack Turner Stadium.

“We are just going to continue to stay focused on what we do and stay focused on the process, because the most outstanding thing about today was the crowd. The crowd was awesome. The team just feeds off of that. When it is loud out here and the fans are going crazy, they love it and they love to play for Georgia and their fans,” said head coach Lu Harris-Champer.

DiCarlo continued her unstoppable weekend by stealing home base in the first inning to give the Dawgs a 1-0 lead. Kendall Burton started the second inning with a walk and she eventually scored off an error by the third baseman. Georgia then led 2-0, but the day was about to get better.

First though, Florida provided some drama as Gray allowed just her second run of 2018 with a one-out single. But just like the night before, he answered the run by shutting down the next two batters. The fun began soon after.

DiCarlo blasted her third home run of the weekend to left field to start the rally. Febrey walked, took second on a bunt and reached third on a ground out. Ciera Bryan slapped a single to center field to drive Febrey home. Kay Harding followed with a single to right field and Jordan Doggett singled to center field to drive to bring Bryan home.

Georgia continued to plant their hits in center field with a single by Cortni Emanuel. Kay and Doggett cross home plate. Milz got hit by a pitch to take first base and Alyssa DiCarlo did Alyssa DiCarlo things by belting a two-RBI double to right-center field. When the party ended, Georgia led the Gators 9-1.

The fun was certainly not over though. With two outs and bases loaded, Emanuel singled up the middle. Burton and Tyler Armistead sprinted home to give Georgia an 11-1 lead.

Florida had one more chance in the top of the fifth to cut the lead and prologue the game. But Georgia retired three-straight batters to finish the game.

Next: Nick Chubb going into the NFL Draft

Georgia can’t produce hits or runs on Sunday

The hits just stopped coming in game three. Georgia didn’t even get a base runner n until the fifth inning. Florida salvaged a bit of pride in a 5-1 victory, helped out by an error in the fifth and a three-run home run in the seventh.

Upcoming schedule

Georgia softball hosts Georgia Southern this Wednesday night. That travel to Mississippi State next weekend for a three-game series. Game one is Friday.

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