Georgia Bulldogs Softball Team Eliminated from Women's College World Series

Despite setting new school marks in multiple offensive categories, the Georgia Bulldogs (50-13) saw their 2010 softball season come to an end on Sunday afternoon, when the Red and Black were eliminated from the Women’s College World Series by the UCLA Bruins (48-11).

Erin Arevalo both started and closed out the contest for the Athenians, surrendering a pair of earned runs on a Sammy Camuso walk and a B.B. Bates home run. Middle reliever Alison Owen gave up a three-run shot to Camuso after two Bruins got aboard by being plunked. UCLA’s Megan Langenfeld went the distance against the Bulldogs, conceding only a pair of hits in seven stanzas’ worth of work.

Georgia avoided the shutout by scoring its only runs in the fourth frame. Taylor Schlopy drew a leadoff walk, and Megan Wiggins followed that up with a double, enabling Alisa Goler to score two with a single. The Bruins continued their domination of the Bulldogs with their Sunday afternoon triumph. In the WCWS finals, UCLA will face fellow Pac-10 team Arizona. The Wildcats eliminated Tennessee today.

While this was not the ending any of us wanted to the Athenians’ softball season, we may take pride in the achievement of this team and the heart the Georgia ladies showed in making it as far as they did. With back-to-back Women’s College World Series appearances under their belts, the Bulldogs have demonstrated that ours is a softball program on the rise. Sooner or later, an SEC team is going to win an NCAA championship in the sport, and there is no reason why that team cannot be Georgia and no reason that year cannot be 2011.

Go ‘Dawgs!