April 19, 2009
Auburn, Ala. - Auburn catcher Elizabeth Eisterhold hit a pair of home runs but it was not enough to overcome the sixth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs who completed a series sweep with a 12-6 win victory over the Tigers Sunday afternoon in softball action.
Auburn fell to 27-20 overall and 7-13 in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia improved to 33-8 overall and 14-6 in the SEC.
The Tigers return to action Wednesday, April 22, with a double-header against Mississippi State in Starkville. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
Christie Hamilton earned the win for Georgia to improve to 17-6. Hamilton went 4.0 innings, allowing six runs, five earned, on six hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Sarah McCloud earned her first save by throwing the final 3.0 innings and without allowing a run.
Anna Thompson took the loss to fall to 13-11. Thompson went 7.0 innings, allowing 12 runs, 11 earned, on 12 hits with four walks and five strikeouts.
The Bulldogs jumped on the scoreboard in the first inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Kristyn Sandberg laced a 2-2 pitch into left field to score Taylor Schlopy (HBP) and Kristin Schnake (single) to give UGA a 2-0 lead.
Jennie Auger followed with a single up the middle to score Alisa Goler (HBP) to push the Georgia lead to 3-0.
Georgia took a 4-0 lead in the third inning when Brianna Hesson hit a leadoff home run to left. It was Hesson's eighth home run of the season. With two outs in the inning Ashley Pauly hit a line drive that dropped in just in front of right field Tatiana Fernandez to drive in pinch-runner Brittany Hubbard to give Georgia a 5-0 lead. Hubbard ran for Tori Moody who reached via a hit-by-pitch.
Elizabeth Eisterhold made it a 5-1 game with a solo home run to open the bottom of the third inning. It was Eisterhold's fifth home run of the season and came on a 1-0 pitch from Hamilton. The rally continued when Kyndall White laced a one-out double to the wall in center to score Lauren Guzman and Cassie Trosclair.
Guzman and Trosclair had back-to-back singles to put them at second and third, respectively, before Lindsey Harrelson's sac bunt advanced the runners up. White's two-run double cut the deficit to 5-3.
White then advanced to third on a passed ball and came in to score on Fernandez's sac fly to center to cut the Georgia lead to 5-4.
The Bulldogs quickly recaptured the momentum. With one out and bases loaded, Moody hit a grand slam over the wall in left to give Georgia a 9-4 lead. It was Moody's fourth home run of the season and came with Schlopy, Schnake and Goler aboard.
The Tigers responded to the Bulldogs outburst in the bottom half of the fourth when Eisterhold ripped her second home run of the game. It was the first multi-home run game for Eisterhold. The blast came with Amber Harrison aboard and made it a 9-6 game in favor of the Bulldogs.
Georgia pushed the lead back to four runs with a run in the top of the fifth. Schanke singled with one out and moved to third on a single by Goler. With two outs, Schnake scored on a wild pitch by Thompson to make it a 10-6 game.
Sandberg made it an 11-6 game with a leadoff home run in the sixth inning. It was Sandberg's seventh home run of the season and her third RBI of the day.
Moody gave Georgia a 12-6 edge with an RBI single in the top of the seventh inning. Schnake scored on the hit after she led off the inning with a single.