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By Olivia Sayer
Georgia softball celebrates its victory over Auburn in the first round of the SEC Tournament. The Bulldogs beat the Tigers 6-5 in a 14-inning game that lasted four hours and 21 minutes. (Photo Courtesy/Georgia softball)
The Georgia softball team sprinted out of the dugout towards home plate. As Jayda Kearney rounded the bases, her teammates swarmed her and jumped in celebration. Kearney’s three-run home run had just kept the Bulldogs’ SEC Tournament title dreams alive.
Georgia defeated Auburn 6-5 in the first round of the SEC Tournament Wednesday evening. The 14-inning contest was the longest game in tournament history and was capped off with a Sarah Gordon walk-off home run.
In the top of the 14th, Georgia was one out away from receiving its seventh chance to walk the game off. On a full count, Auburn’s KK McCrary lined a pitch from Madison Kerpics over the outfield wall for the Tigers first run since the third inning.
The three-run home run appeared to put an end to Georgia’s SEC Tournament title hopes, as the Bulldogs’ had not scored since the first inning. The go-ahead runs also ignited Auburn’s home crowd and eliminated what little momentum the Bulldogs had.
With three outs to spare, Dallis Goodnight singled off the glove of Auburn’s third baseman to lead off the bottom of the 14th. Jaydyn Goodwin followed with a hit to the pitcher, in what was ruled a very generous single. The play brought Jayda Kearney to the plate as the tying run with nobody out.
Kearney, who leads the SEC in long balls, obliterated the first pitch she saw for a game-tying home run. Her 18th of the season sent the Georgia dugout into a frenzy.
“I was freaking out,” Kearney said of what she thought when the ball went over the wall. “It was a very surreal moment, and then I just see all of my teammates running out of the dugout. It was awesome.”
Kearney’s home run may have provided the spark the Bulldogs’ offense needed, as three batters later, Gordon walked it off with a home run of her own. The catcher’s solo shot went dead to left-center field and capped off a four hour and 21 minute contest.
“I just went in there thinking, ‘you’re one swing away,”’ Gordon said. “Watching the [14-inning game between LSU and Alabama] earlier, all of those girls were going up there. They finally got the [game-winning] hit, but they had to stay resilient going through it.”
Gordon said she preached that ‘one swing away’ message to her teammates.
Although late inning heroics will garner all of the headlines, Georgia’s pitching staff also put up a performance to remember. Lilli Backes started in the circle and threw 6.2 innings of two-run ball. Madison Kerpics followed in relief. In what was her first appearance since April 14, due to illness, Kerpics threw 6.1 innings of no-hit ball, before surrendering the go-ahead home run in the top of the 14th.
“I’m really proud of the ‘scrap, fight, and find a way,’” head coach Tony Baldwin said. “Lilli [Backes] and Madi [Kerpics] were so competitive in the circle, and I’m so excited to see Madi get back out there and do her thing.”
The pitching staff was also assisted by its defense, who flashed the leather a multitude of times. Strong defensive play helped limit traffic on the base paths and preserve a tie for the majority of the game.
Coming into the SEC Tournament, Georgia’s bats were scuffling. The Bulldogs were held homerless in their last regular season series and scored a total of six runs in the three-game set.
Against the Tigers, Georgia’s offensive struggles appeared to continue against reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year Maddie Penta. After plating two runs in the first inning, the Bulldogs put zeros on the board until two home runs won the game in the bottom of the 14th.
“Our biggest focus coming into the Tournament was having fight,” Kearney said. “We made sure we did that today. I think this is probably the most fun game that we’ve had in a long time. At no point in the game did anybody give up.”
Baldwin saw that fight play out when Georgia was at the plate and said the Bulldogs had “a lot of competitive at-bats.”
Georgia will try to build on its offensive momentum when it faces SEC East rival and two-seed Florida in the quarterfinals. First pitch of the win or go home game is set for 5 p.m. Thursday at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn.