Feb. 23, 2008
Final Stats
LAS VEGAS - In a game that featured two teams ranked together in back-to-back ESPN.com/USA Softball Polls, the #18 Georgia Bulldogs (12-3) got a walk-off home run to defeat the #18 UNLV Rebels (10-5-1) by a 5-4 margin Saturday night at the Palm Springs Classic. The game was a see-saw affair that had three ties and two lead changes.
The Rebels got on the scoreboard first with two runs in the top of the second. UNLV strung together three straight singles and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 edge. Rosa Ordaz and Brittany Meade opened the frame with back-to-back singles to put runners on second and first. Caitlyn Paus plated Ordaz with a single through the right side off of Sarah McLoud. Meade advanced to third, while Paus wound up on second when Georgia failed to cover the base. The Bulldogs brought in Kate Gaskill to relieve McCloud following the third hit. Stephanie Bean then stepped up and delivered a sacrifice fly to deep left to bring Meade home.
Georgia evened up the game with two runs of its own in the fourth. The Bulldogs got a single, a fielder's choice and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with two out. Megan Wiggins stepped up and chopped a single through the middle to bring home the runs.
Jaci Hull broke open the 2-2 game with a solo home run in the top of the sixth.
The Bulldogs took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Georgia began the inning with three consecutive singles to fill the bases. Taylor Schlopy delivered a deep sacrifice fly to left to plate the tying run and push the runner at second to third. Wiggins duplicated Schlopy's effort with her own sacrifice fly to take the lead.
UNLV tied the game up in the seventh on a double to left center by Brittany Bolinger. Alyssia De La Torre scored from first on Bolinger's hit after reaching on a fielder's choice.
Georgia's Melissa Wood quickly ended the game with a walk-off home run to open up the Bulldogs' half of the seventh.
Christie Hamilton picked up the win for Georgia in 2.0 innings of relif. Hamilton improved to 5-1 on the year.
Traci Odegard (4-1) suffered her first loss as a Rebel. Odegard entered the game in the sixth and recorded the final out of that inning.
UNLV returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 23, against Florida Atlantic. The game is scheduled for a 1:00 pm first pitch.
