Game Recap: Softball | April 06, 2024
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After winning game one of the series Friday night, the sixth-ranked Lady Vols dropped game two to third-ranked Georgia, 3-2, on Saturday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium – setting up a rubber match on Sunday.
The defeat snapped Tennessee’s (29-6, 9-2 SEC) 18-game home winning streak.
Graduate Payton Gottshall was solid in the circle for the Lady Vols, coming on in relief of starter Charli Orsini in the second inning. The right-hander tossed six frames, allowing only one run on one hit.
Gottshall notched seven strikeouts with no walks but ultimately suffered the loss – her third of the season.
Orsini got the start and allowed two runs on three hits in an inning of work before Gottshall relieved her after facing three batters in the second.
Georgia (31-7, 7-4 SEC) scored first thanks to a triple to right field by Emily Digby in the second, opening up a quick two-run lead.
Tennessee battled back in the third, tying the game on a single and a sacrifice fly. With two runners on, junior McKenna Gibson laced a single through the infield to plate Laura Mealer and advance Amanda Ahlin to third.
Sophomore Destiny Rodriguez tied the ballgame with an RBI sac fly to right that got deep enough to score Ahlin.
Gottshall held the Bulldogs off the board for two innings before Sarah Gordon hit a fifth-inning solo home run to retake the lead for Georgia.
UGA started Madison Kerpics in the circle and let her toss 2.1 innings before turning things over to Shelby Walters out of the bullpen. Kerpics allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and a strikeout.
Walters came on in the third and closed out the contest, throwing the final 4.2 frames. She surrendered just one hit with five strikeouts as she picked up her seventh win of the season.
