ATHENS, Ga. – The Belmont University Softball team capped off day three of the Red and Black Showcase with a historic 2-1 victory over No. 15 Georgia on Sunday afternoon at Jack Turner Stadium. The win marked Belmont's first victory over an SEC opponent and a top-25 win at the national level.
VS No. 15 Georgia (2-1)
Belmont came out strong in the top of the first inning. Nicole Hughes reached base after a fielding error, setting the stage for Rylee Spindler. The sophomore delivered a two-run home run to right field, scoring Hughes and giving the Bruins an early 2-0 advantage.
The two-run score proved to be the difference, as Belmont held the lead for the remainder of the contest.
The game quickly turned into a pitching and defensive battle, highlighted by another dominant performance in the circle from Maya Johnson. Coming off a perfect game against Missouri State on Friday, Johnson went the distance, allowing just one run on eight hits while striking out 12. She issued only one walk and improved to 2-0 on the season.
Georgia scored its lone run in the bottom of the second, bringing the score to 2-1, but Johnson and the Belmont defense kept the Bulldogs from scoring the rest of the way.
The score remained unchanged through the final five innings as the Bruins closed out the victory and secured the program-defining win.
Belmont will return to action on Friday, Feb. 13, at 5:30 p.m. CT, when the Bruins take on Samford at the Samford Tournament in Birmingham, Ala.
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