No. 3 Georgia, No. 5 Tennessee fall on packed softball Friday
A pair of weekend invitationals hardly proved inviting for two SEC softball powers, as No. 3 Georgia fell to Virginia 5-4 while No. 5 Tennessee stumbled against Cal State-Fullerton 11-2
Here’s a look at how both top-5 upsets went down:
Pinch-hit hero leads Virginia Tech past Georgia
Trailing by a run with just four outs remaining in her team’s bid to upset No. 3 Georgia, Virginia Tech manager Pete D’Amour bet on Trinity Martin to pinch hit, a sophomore with just two career hits to her name. Martin’s long odds dwindled further as she fell into a two-strike hole, but she managed to turn on an inside fastball, depositing a 2-RBI single into right field that led VT to a 5-4 upset win in Athens.
Virginia Tech’s afternoon started off just as brightly, with Addy Greene driving the game’s sixth pitch of the game well over the right-center wall to give the Hokies an early lead. Cori McMillan emphatically won a seven-pitch duel with another home run the next inning, and the Hokies held onto a 2-1 lead through four innings. Georgia’s high-powered offense finally punched back in the fifth, however, as Emma Lemley’s excellent outing crumbled with three walks and a 2-RBI base knock from UGA’s Sydney Kuma.
Martin’s single the next inning restored Virginia Tech’s lead at 4-3, and another Greene home run helped the Hokies fend off a late Bulldog rally.
Cal State Fullerton crushes No. 5 Tennessee
TOTO GOES YARD!! #TusksUp | @FloSoftball pic.twitter.com/NJUwSO5rIi
— Titans Softball (@Fullerton_SB) February 24, 2024
Day 2 of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic offered legendary highs and historic lows for No. 5 Tennessee, as Karlyn Pickens tossed a perfect game against Loyola-Marymount in its first game before stumbling 11-2 to Cal State Fullerton later in the afternoon.
The Titans have picked off a fair few high-major foes in recent years, most recently downing Florida last season, but dealt a historic beatdown to the Vols Friday — Tennessee had not surrendered double-digit runs to a non-conference foe in more than two years. Tennessee’s mojo on the bump continued into their second contest Friday, retiring the first six Titan batters in order with five strikeouts. Fullerton surged in front the following inning, however, as some opportunistic base-running set up a crucial 2-RBI single from Jazmin Williams, giving the Titans a 3-1 lead.
Fullerton would tack on three more the next inning, ultimately surging to the 11-run mark after just six innings and forcing a stunning mercy-rule upset over No. 5 Tennessee.
