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Olivia Sayer
Georgia junior Dallis Goodnight (1) slides into home plate during an NCAA college softball game between Florida and Georgia at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, April 28, 2024. Florida won 10-7. (Photo/Mady Mertens: @MadyMertensPhotography)
Georgia softball made a crucial SEC series win attainable on Saturday afternoon at Nusz Park. A 5-0 victory over Mississippi State evened the series at one win apiece.
After getting off to a blazing start, a slightly above average conference record has the Bulldogs at sixth in the SEC standings. With postseason play looming, the importance of Georgia winning its final series of the regular season is heightened.
Georgia got on the board early, as Sara Mosley added to her team-leading 57 RBI with a double in the first inning. The hit scored Dallis Goodnight, who recorded her eighth multi-hit game of the season and finished with a season-high three knocks.
After consecutive hit by pitches loaded the bases, Lyndi Rae Davis singled home another run for the Bulldogs. While a strong throw from Mississippi State’s outfielder limited Georgia to two runs, the Bulldogs had a 3-0 lead before Mississippi State picked up a bat.
The three-run first inning had to feel good for the Bulldogs, who were limited to just three hits in their series-opening loss Friday night.
Mississippi State had a chance to match Georgia in the bottom of the inning, but Shelby Walters induced a flyout to shallow right field with the bases loaded to keep MSU off the board.
After surrendering two hits in the first, Walters pitched four innings of no-hit ball. Lilli Backes then followed with two shutout innings of her own. Walters and Backes are a large part of Georgia’s team 2.51 ERA, as they have the most appearances in the circle for the Bulldogs this season.
However, pitching can only take a team so far. Coming into the game, Georgia’s offense was in a slump, scoring less than five runs in five of its past seven games. Although they did not light up the scoreboard against Mississippi State, the Bulldogs showed signs of turning the corner.
All but two starters recorded a hit, while Georgia finished the game with 11 total. The Bulldogs also scored four of their five runs with two outs, which is a vital aspect of any team’s game and especially in the postseason. Georgia did leave eight runners on base, but it did not prove fatal against Mississippi State.
After the three-run first inning, Georgia tacked on two more in the third and fourth. Five runs was all the pitching staff needed to secure the victory and even the series.
The rubber match is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. It is Georgia’s last regular season game before SEC Tournament play begins Wednesday.