Georgia softball is surging in the right direction after big weekend

No. 15 ranked Georgia softball had a busy weekend hosting Bryant and North Carolina in the Georgia Classic. The two-day tournament featured two doubleheaders each day, with the Dawgs playing each team twice this weekend.

Georgia finished the event undefeated by going 4-0 in the past two days and now sits at 14-2 on the year.

On Friday, the Dawgs started the weekend with a 3-2 win over North Carolina and followed it up with an 18-0 win over Bryant. Georgia began Saturday playing Bryant and defeated those Bulldogs 5-2. The Dawgs wrapped the weekend with an 8-1 victory over North Carolina.

Four impressive victories included overcoming some adversities and fighting to get the job done. Not to mention it featured some incredible performances.

Georgia softball shows that this year’s team is willing to work for success.

On Friday, Jaiden Fields sparked up things in the first game against the Tarheels as she led with two hits and smashed the game-winning home run.

It was a tight ballgame between the two squads, and it came down to Britton Rogers on the mound to help get the win. She threw the last five innings after Madison Kerpics started. Rogers allowed one run on four hits and recorded three strikeouts.

That first game, the Dawgs had to fight to get that victory, and thankfully Fields continues to stay hot at the plate.

Friday’s evening game against Bryant was an incredible performance offensively and defensively. The Dawgs tallied 18 runs on 13 hits, but it was starting pitcher Kylie Macy who stole the show.

She pitched a five-inning perfect game and showed what could happen when she got into the zone.

The last time this happened was in 2016 when Georgia saw Chelsea Wilkinson and Kylie Bass combine for a perfect game over in-state rival Georgia Tech. It doesn’t happen often, and when it does, that usually means the pitcher was unstoppable on the mound.

Macy was unstoppable as she recorded 13 of 15 batters, including nine straight, to start the game.

Offensively, Sydney Kuma hit a grand slam and earned five RBI. Lyndi Rae Davis recorded her first homer as a Dawg and drove four runs in off two hits.

The Dawgs could do no wrong in that game, and it seems like it gave them the confidence for Saturday’s doubleheader.

Saturday saw two more gritty wins from the Dawgs, and this group looked like one unit. They played that way too. Even when things got challenging, Georgia overcame the obstacles and finished strong.

The Dawgs scored five runs off nine hits and went through three pitchers but got a big win. Savana Sikes led with three hits, and Lacey Fincher added a couple of her own.

Macy started the second game against North Carolina but got hit by a line drive in the first inning that put her out. Kerpics came in for the remainder of the game, giving up just two hits and striking out three.

Fields stayed hot at the plate, recording two hits, and four players earned two RBI each. Sara Mosely hit a homer to start the game after her pitcher went down, and that told the team they could hunker down to win.

Georgia may have a mixture of young and veteran players, but this season’s message will be playing as one unit. Like the football team and how they had to play for each other as one group, the same can be said for this softball team.

The Dawgs are off to a great start in this new era, and head coach Tony Baldwin is adjusting to his new role nicely. If this group can stay disciplined and focused — they can do some damage in the coming weeks.

They have a decent break this week before next weekend’s tournament. Georgia will host Ohio, Massachusetts and Appalachian State in the Bulldog Classic.