ATHENS — Georgia graduate pitcher Mary Wilson Avant shut down national No. 13-seed Duke on Saturday, tossing a two-hitter as the Lady Bulldogs advanced into the championship game of the Athens Regional with a 1-0 victory.
“I thought I had decent movement on all my pitches, so I was able to work around the zone instead of just working one pitch most of the way,” said Avant, a former Stratford Academy standout from Macon, Ga.
“I think being in the postseason before has helped. This is our first weekend at full capacity, so I’ve been in the loud stadium, the electric environment before. I think that allowed me to just work our process.”
Avant is 45-26 all-time at UGA with 478.2 innings pitched and 431 strikeouts, per UGA sports information.
Freshman Ellie Armistead, from Mathews, Va., hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning to give Avant (17-10) all the run support she needed at Jack Turner Stadium.
“Our defense was really fun to watch,” Georgia coach Lu Harris-Champer said. “They were right where they needed to be all day, and I thought Mary made some big pitches when she needed to make some big pitches. I can’t say enough about Ellie Armistead taking a good hack at the ball and having good results with it.”
Armistead said she had an idea what to look for from Duke pitcher Peyton St. George, who allowed just five Georgia hits.
“I know she was a rise ball pitcher,” Armistead said, “so I was just trying to keep high on my swing, and I just saw one and swung.”
Georgia (31-21) will play Duke (44-11) at noon on Sunday needing to win once to advance to a best-of-three Super Regional showdown against the winner of the NCAA Regional in Gainesville, Fla.
Western Kentucky beat UNC Greensboro 8-4 in an elimination game on Saturday before being eliminated by the Blue Devils 4-0 in 12 innings in a Saturday night game.
The Lady Bulldogs also beat the Hilltoppers, 11-3, on Friday in both teams’ regional opener.
