The No. 14-ranked Georgia softball team is on the ropes in the Minneapolis NCAA regional, just one loss away from its season being over.
The Bulldogs (41-18) play at approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday against the winner of the Saturday game between North Dakota State (42-15) and Drake (42-15) in the double-elimination regional.
Georgia was two outs away from beating host Minnesota in its first game on Saturday, playing amid chilly temperatures that featured a wind chill that made it feel like 41 degrees.
UGA pitcher Mary Wilson Avant (10-5) took a two-hit shutout into the seventh, her 1-0 lead compliments of Jordan Doggett’s solo home run in the top of the sixth.
The Golden Gophers tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when MaKenna Partain drove an RBI single up the middle to score Ali Lindner from second with one out.
Lindner had drawn a leadoff walk and moved to second when Taylor Chell was hit by a pitch.
Georgia came up empty in the top of the eighth inning, unable to muster more than a Doggett infield single, and Minnesota’s Hope Brandner ended the game with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the frame.
Minnesota pitcher Amber Fiser (28-7) limited the Bulldogs to just two hits, both by Doggett.
UGA beat Drake 6-4 in eight innings on Friday after Doggett drew a leadoff walk and Ciara Bryan hit a walk-off home run.
WATCH: Ciara Bryan lifts UGA over Drake with walk-off home run
With a win Saturday, Georgia would return to play the Golden Gophers at 4 p.m. on Sunday needing to win two straight games to advance to NCAA Super Regional action.
