Upsets highlighted the Southeastern Conference softball tournament quarterfinals heading into No. 4 seed Florida’s matchup against fifth-seeded Georgia.
In the first two games on Thursday in Columbia, South Carolina, No. 6 seed LSU shutout third-seeded Missouri 6-0 and No. 7 seed Kentucky blanked second-seeded Tennessee 2-0 to advance to the semifinals.
Florida looked to buck that trend and advance to the SEC tournament semifinals for the third straight year.
Georgia made sure it didn’t happen.
The Gators (45-11) fell 2-0 to the Bulldogs (43-12) at Carolina Softball Stadium, exiting the tournament after one contest for the first time since 2011.
UGA pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson pitched a two-hit shutout, leading Georgia to its fourth consecutive SEC tournament semifinals.
“(Wilkinson) really did a good job of getting ahead and changing her speeds and doing a good job of mixing up her locations and pitching to the zone,” UF coach Tim Walton said.
The Georgia sophomore right-hander retired the first 14 Florida batters she faced, not allowing a runner on base until UF freshman Justine McLean made it to first base on a fielding error.
Wilkinson — a first-team All-SEC pitcher after posting a 2.14 ERA and striking out 234 batters in 199.2 innings in 39 regular season appearances — struck out nine batters and did not give up a hit until the sixth inning when UF center fielder Kirsti Merritt singled to third base and advanced to second on a throwing error.
“Chelsea’s had some great performances and this was one of those great ones,” UGA coach Lu Harris-Champer said. “She was out there playing for her team. She had no thought of the outcome or what could or what could this be. She was up there dealing pitches, knowing that her team was behind her.”
Georgia scored the lone runs of the game in the top of the fifth. UF senior Hannah Rogers came into the game in relief for starter Lauren Haeger with the bases loaded and one out. Bulldogs first baseman Geri Ann Glasco ripped the second pitch Rogers gave to her up the middle for a two-RBI single.
“I was just going up there with an approach, knowing what they’re going to throw at me” Glasco said of the hit. “My last at-bat, Lauren Haeger came inside with a fastball and I took it, so I just sat in knowing they were going to come there at some point at my at-bat and trust my preparation and just getting that pitch up the middle.”
Haeger was credited for surrendering the two runs, snapping her streak of 18.1 scoreless innings that dated back to Florida’s 9-4 win against Missouri on April 26.
Now eliminated from the SEC Tournament, Florida will wait to find out its seeding in the NCAA Tournament. The selection show is set for Sunday at 10 p.m.
The Gators have made an appearance in every NCAA Tournament since 2002. UF, the top team in Monday’s RPI poll, looks to host its 10th consecutive NCAA Regional and reach the Women’s College World Series for the sixth time in seven years.
Despite the early exit from the conference tournament, hope is not lost for the Gators.
The last time Florida exited the SEC Tournament after one game — dropping a 6-2 decision to Auburn in the first round of the 2011 tournament — the Gators went on to reach the Women’s College World Series finale for the second time in program history.
“This game has nothing to do with the next step,” Walton said. “I mean, when you’re playing the SEC teams, it doesn’t have anything to do with the regional approach. We’re just going to go about our business and take this as a midweek loss and get ready for the next step.”
*A television broadcast contributed to this report
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The Gators softball team huddles together prior to the start of Florida's 2-0 win against Ole Miss on March 9 at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
