University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
California
UGA Softball Defeats Cal, 7-0, In Game One Of NCAA Athens Super Regional
June 09, 2010 | Softball
May 28, 2010
ATHENS, Ga. --- Junior Sarah McCloud tossed a complete-game shutout while junior Alisa Goler and sophomore Kristyn Sandberg each hit a two-run home run as No. 6 National Seed Georgia defeated No. 11 National Seed California, 7-0, in game one of the NCAA Softball Athens Super Regional Friday afternoon at the UGA Softball Stadium.
Georgia improved to 47-11 overall on the year and will need just one win on Saturday to advance to the Women's College World Series. First pitch for game two of the Athens Super Regional is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN. California (44-18) will need to win game two for a deciding game three, which would be played at 2:30 p.m. or approximately 30 minutes after game two if necessary.
McCloud improved 12-1 on the year and 4-0 this postseason by hurling her fourth complete game of the season. The Celina, Texas, native limited the Golden Bears to four hits while walking four and striking out three. Georgia turned two double plays in the contest to help McCloud preserve the shutout. California's Valerie Arioto also worked a complete game opposite McCloud in the circle, but Arioto allowed seven runs, six earned, on seven hits and six walks and suffered the loss to fall to 21-9.
Goler (2-for-2) gave Georgia a 2-0 lead in the first inning when she blasted her team-leading 15th home run to straight-away center. Junior Taylor Schlopy, who saw a 13-game hitting streak snapped, was aboard for the long ball after drawing a leadoff walk. Schlopy reached base three times in the contest with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. The Bulldogs then went on to add another run in the first as Sandberg (2-for-3) doubled to right center and scored when Cal shortstop Taylor Kelly committed a throwing error allowing sophomore Ashley Razey to reach base.
The game remained 3-0 until the fifth, when Sandberg drilled a two-run home run that hit the scoreboard in left making it 5-0. Sandberg's home run was her sixth of the year, and it was also her 100th-career base hit. Freshman pinch runner Sara Sikes scored on the homer after coming in to run for Goler, who drew a walk to start the inning.
Georgia added its final two runs in the sixth when junior Megan Wiggins (2-for-4) provided a two-run single on a hard hit ball that went off of Cal second baseman Shannon Thomas. Junior Laura Trout and Schlopy scored the pair of runs after reaching on a double and a hit-by-pitch, respectively. Wiggins, who also singled in the third, extended her hitting streak to 19 games, which ties for the second-best hitting streak in school history. The school record hitting streak of 20 games is held by Kim Wendland (2005).
Both game two and game three, if necessary, will be aired on ESPN/ESPN3.com. Live stats and live audio can also be found on www.georgiadogs.com.
