Georgia swept through Virginia Tech and Radford on Saturday afternoon, flexing the power that has made them one of the best teams in the nation to this point.
Preseason All-American Jayda Kearney hit home runs in both games to lead the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs’ attack, as UGA bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 7-5 win over No. 21 Virginia Tech and a 10-1 run-rule victory over Bradford.
UGA will finish the Georgia Classic tournament at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens at 1 p.m. on Sunday against Dartmouth.
Georgia (11-1) started Saturday with the win over the Hokies, avenging Friday’s 5-4 loss to Virginia Tech as Kearney hit a three-run home run to give UGA a 4-3 lead in the third, and Lyndi Rae Davis delivered a three-run blast in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a tie and make it 7-4.
“We got a couple of big swings from Lyndi Rae and Jayda as well as some walks,” third-year coach Tony Baldwin said. “That gives us an opportunity to do some good things.”
Seven runs was all the fire support Shelby Walters needed in the circle after she came on in relief of starter Madison Kerpics with the score knotted at 4-4 entering the fifth inning.
Walters allowed four hits and one run in the three innings she pitched, running her record to 4-1 this season.
“I thought our pitchers did a good job of just staying in it,” Baldwin said. “I think today, and what we learned this weekend against the good Virginia Tech team, and what we’ve learned by challenging ourselves, is that we can take a punch and stay in the game.”
The Bulldogs spotted Radford (7-4) a run in the second game before Kearney tie the game with her second home run of the day in the bottom of the first inning.
Sydney Chambley delivered an RBI single to make it 2-1 going into the second, and then leadoff hitter Emily Digby padded the lead with an RBI double in the second.
Georgia turned the game into a rout in the bottom of the sixth inning when Jaiden Fields and Sara Mosley hit three-run home runs for the 10-1 walk-off victory.
Clemson transfer Rachel Gibson started for UGA against Radford and allowed one run and one hit in two innings, also walking one while fanning three.
Gibson was the two-time Georgia High School 4A Pitcher of the Year at Heritage High School in 2018 and 2019.
Destin Howard came on in relief in the third inning and threw three scoreless frames, scattering three hits while fanning one to get the win.
Howard, who made 10 appearances last season, was a first-team all-stater in 2020 when she led Jones County High School to the state title that season.
North Carolina transfer Lilli Backes pitched the final inning for her third save of the season.
Georgia top hitters
Sydney Kuma, .600, 3 HR, 5 RBIs
Sydney Chambley, .355, 4 HR, 13 RBIs
Jayda Kearney, .351, 6 HR, 12 RBIs
Jaiden Fields, .350, 1 HR, 5 RBIs
Emily Digby, .323, 2 HR, 13 RBIs
Ellie Armistead .286, 1 HR, 4 RBIs
Dallas Goodnight, .263, 0 HR, 3 RBIs
Lyndi Rae Davis, .250, 3 HR, 10 RBIs
Sara Mosley, .238, 3 HR, 15 RBIs
Pitching leaders
Lilli Backes, 2.12 ERA, 29.2 IP, 3-0
Shelby Walters 2.30 ERA, 24.1 IP, 4-1
Madison Kerpics, 2.62 ERA, 18.2 IP, 3-0
