ATHENS, Ga. - The No. 7-ranked University of Georgia softball squad defeated visiting Georgia Southern, 10-3, on Wednesday evening in non-conference action at the Jack Turner Complex in Athens.
The Bulldogs (27-2) improved to 29-1 all-time against the Eagles (19-9), but it was the first meeting since 2014 between the two teams that did not end in five innings. Georgia Southern returns to action on Saturday, hosting UL Monroe in a 1 p.m. Sun Belt Conference doubleheader at Eagle Park.
"It wasn't the outcome we expected," Georgia Southern Head Coach Kim Dean said. "However, I was impressed with some of our late-game adjustments at the plate. Our pitchers did a good job in getting us ground balls, and although we had a few miscues that we will learn from, we will be happy to get back out on the field at home this weekend in Sun Belt play against UL Monroe."
Georgia plated a pair of runs in the first off of Georgia Southern starter Kaylee Ramos (1-1), who was making her first career start for the Eagles, to take an early 2-0 lead. A leadoff triple in the second led to another run, then the Bulldogs would chase Ramos with a three-run third.
The Eagles threatened against starter Mary Wilson Avant came in the second inning, when Allyssah Mullis reached on an error and, one batter later, Mekhia Freeman singled to give the Eagles two on with one out. Avant retired the next two batters to escape the threat.
Georgia plated a single run in the fourth to make the score 7-0, but Georgia Southern finally broke through against reliever Lauren Mathis as a walk and an infield single by Haley Carter put two on with two out for Alesha Mann, who delivered a two-run single up the middle to make the score 7-2.
The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly, but the Eagles got that run back in the top of the sixth on Hannah Farrell's team-leading seventh home run of the season. Two unearned runs plated by Georgia in the bottom of the sixth capped the scoring on the night.
Ramos went three innings in the circle for the Eagles, giving up seven hits and six runs - five earned - while walking two and striking out a career-high three. Reliever Amanda Ablan (2-1) notched the win for the Bulldogs, giving up three hits and one run in two innings, walking one while striking out two.
Mann's two RBI led the Eagles at the plate, while Allison Febrey's two hits and three RBI led the Bulldogs.
