Georgia (49-11) scored six unanswered runs after Washington (50-8) put up three runs in the first inning. It marked the 13th comeback victory for the Bulldogs this season including the fourth of three or more runs. With the victory, Georgia advances in the winner's bracket to face a familiar opponent in Southeastern Conference Eastern Division foe, Tennessee. The Lady Vols (48-13) defeated Arizona, 9-0 in five innings, in game three of the WCWS.
The Bulldogs' comeback started in fourth inning on a two-out, solo home run from sophomore Kristyn Sandberg. Sandberg's seventh home run of the season put Georgia on the board against USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Danielle Lawrie, 3-1.
The Dogs then added two more in the fifth to tie the contest at 3-3. Junior Laura Trout (2-for-3) started the two-out rally with a single left on a 0-2 pitch. Sophomore Ashley Pauly (3-for-3) and junior Taylor Schlopy followed with two more, two-strike singles to load the bases for Wiggins (2-for-4), who singled in a run on a hit to shallow right cutting the Huskies' lead to one run. Wiggins single extended her hitting streak to a school-record 21 games and extended her on-base streak to 31 games.
After Wiggins single, the bases remained loaded. Washington recorded the first out of the inning on a fielder's choice out at the plate, but Georgia would scratch across the tying run in the next at-bat. Junior Brianna Hesson hit a slow rolling ground ball to first and reached on a fielder's choice as Schlopy beat a throw to the plate.
Wiggins then capped the comeback with the three-run blast to center in the sixth. It was Wiggins' team-leading 16th home run of the season, and it came with two outs. Trout and Pauly were on base for the long ball after both reached on a pair of singles, and Wiggins' home run gave her four RBI on the game, matching a career high.
Helping set up the comeback, sophomore Erin Arevalo tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of relief allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out four. Arevalo notched the win to improve to 19-6 while Lawrie fell to 40-4 with the loss. Freshman Alison Owen then worked the final 1.2 innings without allowing a hit and striking out five to earn her third career save. Owen struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
Arevalo and Owen both pitched out of bases-loaded jams in the contest. Arevalo escaped unscathed in the fourth while Owen entered in the sixth with two on, and after a walk, she recorded her second of the five strikeouts to end the Washington threat.
Washington scored the first three runs off of junior starter Sarah McCloud in the first. With runners on first and second, Niki Williams provided the Huskies with an RBI double to left, and Hooch Fagaly followed with a two-run single through the left side of the infield.
With Thursday's win, Georgia now improves to 38-0 when scoring six or more runs and is 7-0 against non-SEC conference champions.
Georgia will now meet Tennessee on Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET in game six of the WCWS. By virtue of a coin toss, Georgia will play as the home team for the fifth meeting between the two SEC universities.
Georgia won the regular season series two games to one while Tennessee evened the series 2-2 with a victory in the SEC Tournament, which marked the last lost for UGA.
Georgia team celebrates following 6-3 win over Washington in the opening game of the Women's College World Series. (from georgiadogs.com)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2010/6/229821