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Georgia softball freshman Mua Williams' family flew in from Hawaii for the Lady Bulldogs' weekend series against No. 3. And what a game they got to witness on Sunday as Georgia dominated the Tigers 11-3 in five innings.
Not only did Jack Turner set an attendance record with 2,478 visitors in the stands, but Williams saved the day and got Georgia it one win for the weekend with a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning. The bases were loaded with one out when the ball crossed the left-center-field wall to bring home juniors Sarah Gordon and Jaydyn Goodwin, freshman Precious Bross and Williams herself.
"It's definitely been a lot of ups and downs," Williams said, turning a little red as a family member her let out a roaring fa'aumu — "CHEE-HOO," a Polynesian battle cry used to express excitement. "That's just how softball is. You've got to learn how to persevere through a lot of those things and the team's helped me a lot (in that area). I know they've got my back, the coaches especially."
The utility player, who is the youngest of eight siblings, came to Athens from Waimanalo, a small town on the island of Oahu. She was named to the D1Softball D100 Freshman Watch List after earning position player of the year in Hawaii in 2023 when she guided her school to a Kamehameha Schools runner up finish and Kamehameha Schools ILH championship.
As a true freshman, she's started in all 33 games for the Lady Bulldogs, making a huge impact. The grand slam on Sunday that turned a 2-run deficit to a 5-run lead and eventually solidified Georgia's win, was her third home run of the season. She scored her first two on March 14 and 16 at South Carolina.
"She's awesome, a great kid, humble and a hard worker," coach Tony Baldwin said of Williams. "She spends more time in hat indoor facility working on her own than anybody and you just keep seeing it. The thing we just keep talking about is, that sometimes outcomes can mask progress. When outcomes aren't going your way, it makes you feel like you aren't really progressing. But she has been, and it has been fun getting to see her reap the benefits."
She didn't have a great game on Saturday, going 0-2 at the plate, but she managed to bounce back today.
"I remembered my worth, and that my identity is not in this sport, but in the Lord," Williams said. "He's going to help me persevere through a lot of these tough times, too. Also, just going back to the basics, hitting off the tee again, just getting (the frustration) all out helped me kind of relax and get back into my groove."
Georgia scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, senior Lyndi Rae-Davis and Gordon on errors by LSU's catcher and shortstop and senior Dallis Goodnight and junior Tyler Ellison on a single to left field by Gordon. When LSU failed to respond in the top of the fifth, the Lady Bulldogs called game on a run-rule.
Now 23-8 overall and 3-6 in the SEC, No. 13 UGA will return to the diamond on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. to play Oklahoma State, before headed to Tuscaloosa to take on a newly unranked Alabama.
But first, Williams and her family are going to celebrate.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia softball freshman hits grand slam against LSU to give Dawgs win
Continue reading...
Not only did Jack Turner set an attendance record with 2,478 visitors in the stands, but Williams saved the day and got Georgia it one win for the weekend with a grand slam in the bottom of the third inning. The bases were loaded with one out when the ball crossed the left-center-field wall to bring home juniors Sarah Gordon and Jaydyn Goodwin, freshman Precious Bross and Williams herself.
"It's definitely been a lot of ups and downs," Williams said, turning a little red as a family member her let out a roaring fa'aumu — "CHEE-HOO," a Polynesian battle cry used to express excitement. "That's just how softball is. You've got to learn how to persevere through a lot of those things and the team's helped me a lot (in that area). I know they've got my back, the coaches especially."
The utility player, who is the youngest of eight siblings, came to Athens from Waimanalo, a small town on the island of Oahu. She was named to the D1Softball D100 Freshman Watch List after earning position player of the year in Hawaii in 2023 when she guided her school to a Kamehameha Schools runner up finish and Kamehameha Schools ILH championship.
As a true freshman, she's started in all 33 games for the Lady Bulldogs, making a huge impact. The grand slam on Sunday that turned a 2-run deficit to a 5-run lead and eventually solidified Georgia's win, was her third home run of the season. She scored her first two on March 14 and 16 at South Carolina.
"She's awesome, a great kid, humble and a hard worker," coach Tony Baldwin said of Williams. "She spends more time in hat indoor facility working on her own than anybody and you just keep seeing it. The thing we just keep talking about is, that sometimes outcomes can mask progress. When outcomes aren't going your way, it makes you feel like you aren't really progressing. But she has been, and it has been fun getting to see her reap the benefits."
She didn't have a great game on Saturday, going 0-2 at the plate, but she managed to bounce back today.
"I remembered my worth, and that my identity is not in this sport, but in the Lord," Williams said. "He's going to help me persevere through a lot of these tough times, too. Also, just going back to the basics, hitting off the tee again, just getting (the frustration) all out helped me kind of relax and get back into my groove."
Georgia scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth, senior Lyndi Rae-Davis and Gordon on errors by LSU's catcher and shortstop and senior Dallis Goodnight and junior Tyler Ellison on a single to left field by Gordon. When LSU failed to respond in the top of the fifth, the Lady Bulldogs called game on a run-rule.
Now 23-8 overall and 3-6 in the SEC, No. 13 UGA will return to the diamond on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. to play Oklahoma State, before headed to Tuscaloosa to take on a newly unranked Alabama.
But first, Williams and her family are going to celebrate.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia softball freshman hits grand slam against LSU to give Dawgs win
Continue reading...
