(Photo Courtesy of Georgia Athletics)
ORLANDO, Fla. – No. 17/17 Georgia powered past Marshall and NC State in the first day of the Citrus Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla. Georgia defeated Marshall 17-0 in five innings in the first game before handing NC State an 8-0, five-inning loss in the second game. Georgia remains undefeated on the year at 11-0.
Geri Ann Glasco led the offense on the day, going 4-for-7 with three home runs, including two grand slams, the first grand slams of her career. It also marked the first time in program history that Georgia has hit two grand slams in a single game. Kaylee Puailoa went 4-for-6 with a pair of home runs, while Paige Wilson, Maeve McGuire, Alex Hugo and Bethany Beggs also hit a home run.
Glasco (4-0) picked up the win in the circle for Georgia against Marshall and combined with Bekah Farris for the shutout. Chelsea Wilkinson (7-0) got the win against NC State, throwing her third complete-game shutout of the season.
Georgia 17, Marshall 0
The Bulldogs displayed their offensive might in a 17-0 shutout win over Marshall in the first game of the day. Georgia had four players hit six home runs, one shy of school record that was set last season against Delaware State. Glasco led the way with a pair of grand slams, while Puailoa hit two home runs of her own. Wilson and McGuire also hit a home run.
Glasco got the win for Georgia to improve to 4-0 on the season. She allowed just two hits and one walk in three scoreless innings of work. She also struck out four batters. Farris came on in relief of Glasco in the fourth inning and threw the final two innings for the Bulldogs. She gave up two hits and struck out one batter.
Georgia took an early 2-0 in the bottom of the first. Wilson led off the game with a home run to left field. Anna Swafford followed with a walk and moved to third on a stolen base and a groundout. With one away, Hugo hit a sacrifice fly that scored Swafford and made it a 2-0 game.
The Bulldogs scored six runs on six hits, including two home runs, in the bottom of the second to make it an 8-0 game. With the bases loaded after a trio of singles, Wilson hit a sacrifice fly to plate the first run of the inning. Glasco came to the plate with the bases loaded and drove the pitch deep to dead center for the first grand slam of her career. Puailoa followed with a home run of her own that made it an 8-0 game.
Georgia added nine runs in the bottom of the third that extended its lead to 17-0. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases for Glasco, who delivered with her second grand slam of the game that made it a 12-0 game. With a runner on, Puailoa belted her second home run of the game that resulted in a 14-0 Georgia lead. The Bulldogs went deep again when McGuire homered to center. Leading 15-0, Georgia took advantage of two wild pitches and plated two runs that brought its lead to 17-0.
Marshall threatened to break up the shutout in the top of the fifth, getting a pair of runners on with an error and a single. A lineout to third ended the game before a run could cross, preserving the shutout win.
Georgia 8, NC State 0 (Five Inn.)
The Bulldogs picked up its second five-inning win of the day with an 8-0 shutout of NC State. Wilkinson got the win to move to 7-0 on the year after throwing a complete-game shutout. She gave up two hits and four walks, while striking out seven batters. It was her third complete-game shutout of the season.
Georgia carried its offensive momentum into the game, as it scored eight runs in five innings and hit three home runs. The Bulldogs plated its first run of the game in the bottom of the first when Glasco hit an RBI-single that scored Swafford, who reached on a double.
NC State looked to answer in the top of the third inning, using two walks and a single to load the bases. Wilkinson got the final batter to strike out swinging to end the inning with the bases loaded.
A six-run third inning gave Georgia a 7-0 lead. Swafford led off with a single to right that was followed by a Glasco home run, her third of the day that made it a 3-0 game. Hugo got in on the home run action with a solo shot to left center one batter later that extended the Bulldog lead to 4-0. A single by Puailoa and walk to Katie Browne put two on for Beggs, who sent the 2-1 pitch deep over the center field wall for her first home run as a Bulldog. The three-run home run made it a 7-0 game.
After a scoreless fourth, Browne hit a one-out single to center in the bottom of the fifth. Adele Harrison came on to pinch run for Browne and moved to second on a passed ball. Wilson came to the plate with the runners at second and third following another walk. She delivered her second walk-off hit of the season when she roped a double to center that scored Harrison for the winning run.
Georgia returns to action tomorrow, Feb. 22, when it takes on Delaware at 3:30 p.m., and East Carolina at 5:45 p.m.
