KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Despite a comeback in the middle innings from a five-run deficit, No. 21 Georgia used a three-run ninth inning to knock off the No. 17 Tennessee softball team, 11-8, in extra-innings on Sunday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.
The afternoon was an offensive barrage that saw the teams combine for 21 hits, with Tennessee (35-8, 8-7 SEC) featuring four players who tallied multiple hits and Georgia (29-14, 7-11 SEC) saw all but one starter record a hit.
Senior infielder Ashley Morgan led the way offensively for the Lady Vols, finishing the day, 2-for-5, with a pair of doubles and a whopping four RBIs.
Sophomore Madison Webber also went 2-for-5 at the dish, recording two RBI and a run scored.
In the circle it was a bit of an up-and-down day for UT that saw sophomore Callie Turner and junior Ashley Rogers combine for 10 earned runs on 10 hits, despite fanning six batters.
The teams traded runs in the opening two innings, with UT holding a slim, 3-2 advantage heading into the top of the third.
Tennessee’s runs came on a RBI double from junior Ally Shipman and the first of Webber’s two, two-RBI singles.
In the top half of the third, the Bulldogs exploded for six runs to take a 8-3 lead, before the contest met its midpoint.
However, the Orange & White responded with five unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings, with four of the five runs coming off Morgan’s two, two-RBI doubles to tie the score at eight apiece.
The final innings of the ballgame were fairly uneventful as the afternoon gave the SPL crowd a few innings of free softball.
After a scoreless eighth, Georgia pounced in the ninth for three runs on three hits to put pressure on UT, before ultimately walking away with the 11-8 victory.
MORGAN MAKES MOST OF WEEKEND
Ashley Morgan was the most explosive bat for the Orange & White all weekend, finishing the series 6-for-10 at the plate with three doubles, a home run and six RBI’s. She also boasted a weekend slugging percentage of 1.200, while striking out just once.
UP NEXT
The Lady Vols return to action with a mid-week twin bill on the road at Western Carolina on Tuesday afternoon. First pitches from Cullowhee, North Carolina are slated for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET.
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-UT Athletics
