March 17, 2013
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
Auburn, Ala. - The 25th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs held off a seventh-inning Auburn rally to win 9-8 and complete a series sweep over the Tigers in softball.
The loss moved Auburn's record to 20-10 overall and 1-5 in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia improved to 21-7 overall and 3-0 in the SEC. Auburn hosts Florida State Tuesday at 5 p.m.
"It was a typical Sunday in the SEC," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "Both teams just kept coming back and responding. I'm really proud of the fight from our team. Georgia was able to get the outs when they needed it. We can't hang our heads over this, we have a really good Florida State team coming in and we have to get ourselves ready for that."
Marcy Harper took the loss in relief to fall to 10-4. Harper allowed five runs, all earned, on seven hits with one strikeout in three and two-thirds innings of work. Lexi Davis started and then re-entered in the sixth. Davis pitched three and one-third innings, allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Geri Ann Glasco earned the win in relief to improve to 12-1. Glasco pitched six innings, allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Morgan Montemayor started, re-entered to start the seventh and was lifted for Glasco again in the inning. Montemayor went one inning, allowing four runs, one earned, on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
Anna Swafford led off the game with a home run over the wall in right, giving Georgia a 1-0 lead. It came on a 2-2 pitch and was Swafford's seventh of the season. After a ground out, the Bulldogs loaded the bases on a Glasco walk, a single by Tina Iosefa and an HBP on Kaylee Puailoa. Katie Sowers ran for Glasco and scored on a sacrifice fly to left, which also resulted in Iosefa out on a tag to end the inning with Georgia leading 2-0.
Auburn put the first two batters in the bottom of the first on when Morgan Estell reached on a fielding error and Branndi Melero drew a walk. Montemayor picked up the first out when she fanned Emily Carosone on a swinging third strike. Caitlin Schultze followed with a double to the wall in right that scored Estell to make it a 2-1 deficit. Brooke Lathan was hit on the ensuing pitch to load the bases.
Montemayor was able to get Caitlin Jordan swinging for strike three for the second out, but Baylee Stephens delivered a two-run single, scoring Melero and Schultze to give Auburn a 3-2 lead. Lathan was out on the play attempting to score to end the rally.
The Bulldogs put the tying run on to open the fourth inning when Puailoa was hit by a pitch. She was then lifted for Niaja Griffin who moved into scoring position when she stole second. With one out, Griffin was caught in a rundown after breaking for third and tagged by Kelsey Bogaards for the second out. That saved a run as Christine Olney took the ensuing pitch off the wall in left for a double. Harper was able to end the scoring threat when she forced Katie Browne to fly out to left to end the inning.
In the bottom of fourth, Bogaards led off and was hit by a pitch and was lifted for pinch-runner Kristyn Richards. Tiffany Howard followed with a single through the right side to put runners at second and first with no outs. Estell then hit into a line-out double play, forcing Richards out at second and leaving Howard at first. Glasco ended the inning when Melero grounded out to short.
Georgia put two on with no outs to open the fifth after Samantha LaZear and Swafford each singled. After a sacrifice bunt by Paige Wilson moved the runners to third and second with one out, Glasco brought LaZear home with a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 3-3 game. On the next pitch, Iosefa crushed a two-run home run over the wall in left to give Georgia a 5-3 lead. Continuing the rally, Puailo took the very next pitch over the wall in center for Georgia's third home run of the day, making it a 6-3 game. The Bulldogs made it back-to-back-to-back homers as Tess Sito took Harper's offering over the wall in right to give UGA a 7-3 lead.
The Tigers answered in the bottom of fifth with three runs. Carosone led off with a single and was followed by Schultze who doubled to put runners at third and second. Lathan then plated Carosone with a single up the middle to make it 7-4. With runners on the corners, Glasco fanned Jordan for the first out. Stephens then hit a ground ball that Wilson booted at shortstop for an error, Schultze scored on the play to make it 7-5, while Lathan took third.
A wild pitch from Glasco hit the backstop and rolled down the foul line, allowing Lathan to score and cut the deficit to 7-6. Stephens was able to take third on the play, but on a ground ball off Jade Rhodes' bat back to Glasco, Stephens was thrown out at home. Rhodes was then thrown out attempting to take second on the play for the final out of the inning.
Georgia added to its lead in the sixth when Wilson singled home Swafford, who singled and stole second. Swafford's run made it an 8-6 game. Glasco followed with a single to right that plated Wilson, who stole second, to give Georgia a 9-6 lead.
Melero cut the Georgia lead to 9-7 with a two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the sixth. It was Melero's sixth home run of the season.
After a scoreless top of the seventh, Georgia starting pitching Montemayor came in to pitch in a save situation. Lathan led off with a double to center and came in to score when Jordan followed with a single to center. Lathan's run made it a 9-8 game. That chased Montemayor for Galsco, who picked up the first out when Stephens hit into a fielder's choice forcing Jordan out.
Glasco was able to slam the door on the Auburn rally when she fanned pinch-hitters Austyn West and McKenzie Kilpatrick in succession to end the game.
