Box Score Game Box (PDF)
Athens, Ga. – In the first-ever Top 25 battle in USC Upstate's Division I era, No. 13 Georgia claimed a 3-1 victory over the No. 24 Spartans Wednesday night at Jack Turner Stadium. It was the first time in Upstate's Division I history the Spartans faced a Top 25 team while they were ranked in the Top 25 as well.
Upstate fell to 36-5 on the year with the loss and had its 13-game winning streak snapped as well. The Spartans will travel to Highland Heights, Ky., to take on Northern Kentucky in a three-game A-Sun series Saturday and Sunday. Georgia improved to 34-6 with the win.
"In games like this when you are playing a Top 15 team, you can't afford to walk people and make errors," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "We are working on getting better at that. That is something you can't do and hope to win against a team the caliber of Georgia. Anna pitched well and held us in the game and we hit the ball hard, just to people. Now we turn our attention to Northern Kentucky for very important conference games this weekend."
After two scoreless innings, both teams made some noise in the third inning. However, Georgia was the only team to scratch anything across as the Bulldogs scored an unearned run to open a 1-0 lead. Aly Schneider and Erin Schattle strung together a pair of one-out singles to put runners on the corners for Upstate in the top of the inning. However, Georgia starter Geri Ann Glasco struck out the next two Spartans to get out of the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Niaja Griffin reached on an error to lead off the inning. After a Bulldog single put runners on first and second, Upstate starter Anna Miller struck out the next batter. Georgia's Alex Hugo walked to load the bases with one out and Kaylee Puailoa drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Miller then got a strikeout to end the inning.
Georgia made it a 3-0 lead when Hugo hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth. Paige Wilson doubled with one out and Hugo followed with a homer, her 16th of the season. Lexi Shubert came in to relieve Miller, ending a solid effort by the senior who tossed six strong innings of relief in last year's 8-5 victory over the Bulldogs.
Upstate put runners on first and second with no outs in the sixth, but Georgia got out of the inning with a double play on a liner to second. Kendall Settlemyre gave Upstate some hope in the seventh, belting a solo home run to right with one out to get the Spartans within 3-1. It was her 10th homer of the season. However, Upstate could not get anything else across as the Spartans fell to the Bulldogs.
Miller took the loss for Upstate after allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits with four strikeouts. Shubert tossed 1 2/3 innings of relief and allowed just one hit.
Glasco took the win for Georgia to improve to 14-2 on the year. She two hits in four innings of work with five strikeouts.
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