ATHENS, Ga. — Lauren Coleman recorded three RBI on three hits, including a two-run home run that proved to be a game winner as Georgia State softball defeated No. 23 Georgia 10-7 in eight innings at the Jack Turner Softball Stadium on Wednesday night.
Katie Worley (13-9) held the top slugging team in the nation to only two runs in 6.0 innings of relief to pick up the win in the circle. The freshman walked only one batter and struck out five.
For Georgia State, the game extended its winning streak to seven games.
In a back-and forth contest, the Panthers (33-16) scored two runs in the third, three in the fourth, two in the sixth, and three more in the eighth. GSU out-hit the Bulldogs (34-16) 10-8 in the contest and took advantage of three errors by UGA.
Callie Alford hit a two-run home run (her 10th of the year) in the sixth inning that gave Georgia State a brief 7-5 lead. Georgia answered with a two-out double from Gerri Ann Glasco to tie the game and send it into extras.This is the first time GSU has had two players hit 10 or more home runs in a season as Paige Nowacki leads with 12.
After Jessica Clifton was hit by a pitch to start the eighth inning, Coleman sent a ball over the right field wall to give the Panthers a 9-7 lead. Bethany Horne added an RBI double to set the final score.
The win is the first for the Panthers in Athens since GSU won both sides of a doubleheader in 2000. Georgia is also the second ranked team the Panthers have played this season after facing No. 4 Alabama. It is the second SEC team that GSU has beaten this season as the Panthers topped Auburn over at Auburn, 4-1.
Three Panthers recorded multi-hit games on the night, including Coleman, Taylor Anderson and Ashley Christy. Clifton also scored three runs for GSU.
Georgia got on the board first on the power of a Katie Browne solo home run in the bottom of the second.
Anderson led off the third with a single up the middle. After Alford reached on an error, Coleman tied the game with an RBI single. Christy followed with an RBI base knock into left field that gave GSU a brief 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the third, the Bulldogs answered with four runs, including two on a bases-loaded double by Kaylee Puailoa.
GSU loaded the bases in the fourth inning and scored three runs. Whitney Phillips scored on an RBI groundout by Clifton before both Brenna Morrissey and Clifton scrambled home on consecutive wild pitches.
Georgia State returns home to Panthersville for their final CAA home series against the Delaware Blue Hens. The Panthers will honor five senior student-athletes on Sunday.
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