University of North Carolina Athletics
Georgia Advances With 9-3 Win Over BYU
May 16, 2008 | Softball
May 16, 2008
Courtesy: UGA Sports Communications
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Four Bulldogs recorded multiple hit and multiple RBI performances to lead 23rd-ranked Georgia (45-22) past the Brigham Young Cougars (43-19), 9-3, in the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional at Anderson Stadium on Friday. With the win, Georgia advances to the championship round of the Chapel Hill Regional and will wait its opponent for a 1 p.m. ET meeting on Saturday, May 17. BYU falls to the loser's bracket and will play again on Friday evening against the winner of game four between North Carolina and Campbell for the right to meet Georgia on Saturday. "I'm super proud of our team for coming out and swinging the bats they way they did today," Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer said. "They came in there and hit the way they do in practice, and that's what you have got to do. It was really important to continue to put runs on the board. BYU is a very good team, and you can never feel safe against a team like that. You just have to keep competing."
Leading the way at the plate for the Bulldogs on Friday were a trio of freshman and a sophomore. Freshman Megan Wiggins paced the team by going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two run scored, while freshmen Alisa Goler (2-for-3) and Brianna Hesson (2-for-3, 2 doubles) also added two hits and two RBI each. Niki Stansell, a sophomore transfer, recorded her first two career hits for the Bulldogs including a two-run home run in the fifth. "It was awesome that both Sarah and Christie were able to pitch for us today because no one got too long a look at either of them," Harris-Champer noted. "Sarah got us to the good part of the game, and Christie came in and wrapped it up."
From the circle, junior Christie Hamilton entered in relief to earn the win by tossing four shutout innings allowing just two hits while striking out three. Hamilton relieved freshman starter Sarah McCloud who tossed three innings allowing three runs. With the win, her second of the Chapel Hill Regional, Hamilton improves to 14-4 on the year, while BYU's Christina Gwyn Trice took the loss after allowing four runs in relief to fall to 18-8.
Brigham Young took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a RBI single to right from designated player Amanda Vance. Stephanie Platt Hopkins scored the run from third after singling and advancing on a sacrifice bunt and a groundout.
Georgia answered with five runs on five hits in the top of the fourth to go up 5-1. After loading the bases with two outs, freshman Taylor Schlopy pick up an RBI on a bases loaded walk and Wiggins and Goler followed with a pair of two-run singles.
The Bulldogs' fourth inning started with a double to center from freshman Brianna Hesson, but on the next play Stansell singled off the glove of BYU's third baseman, Angeline Quiocho, and the deflection led to Hesson being caught for an out between second and third. Next, junior Kristin Schnake doubled to left giving Georgia runners at second and third. A would be wild pitch during the next at-bat became the second out of the inning as Stansell was called out at the plate trying to score. Seniors Victoria Sanders (1-for-2, run) and Sojourner Moody (1-for-3, run) extended the frame and loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch and walk.
BYU pulled to within two at 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run to right center from Jessica Purcell. Quiocho was on base after drawing a leadoff walk. The home run ended the day for McCloud as the Bulldogs turned to Hamilton in the circle. Hamilton got the first batter she faced to pop up but then issued a walk. However, the Cougars inning came to close as Hamilton induces a groundball double play in which Schnake fielded at shortstop, forced a runner out at second and threw to first.
In the top of the fifth, Georgia got the two runs back to go up 7-3 on a two-run home run to left from Stansell. Hesson was on-base for the home run after drawing a leadoff walk. For Stansell, a transfer from Seminole State, the home run was her first as a Bulldog, and her single in the fourth inning was her first for Georgia.
The Bulldogs added two runs on three hits in the sixth to extend their advantage to 9-3. Wiggins, batting right-handed for the first time of her collegiate-career, led off with a single to shortstop, and Goler followed with a bunt single. On the play, a throwing error by Quiocho allowed the runners to move up to second and third. Next, Wood drew a walk and freshman Jennie Auger entered as a pinch runner for Wood as the bases were full of Bulldogs. Hesson delivered a two-run double to right center in the next at-bat that scored Wiggins and Goler, but Auger was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first.
On Saturday, if the Bulldogs win their 1 p.m. contest against the yet to be determined opponent, they would advance to Super Regional play. If Georgia drops that game, it would turn around and play a second game against the same opponent for the right to advance.
