Jaydyn Goodwin’s go-ahead homer and Randi Roelling’s gritty complete game send Bulldogs past Blue Devils in thrilling nightcap
It took eight innings, a clutch home run, and a whole lot of nerve, but Georgia softball is heading to the Super Regionals. Behind Jaydyn Goodwin’s solo blast and Randi Roelling’s resilience in the circle, the Bulldogs pulled off a gutsy 5-2 comeback win over Duke on Sunday night to clinch the Durham Regional title.
Just hours earlier, Georgia looked flat — pummeled 8-1 by the Blue Devils in a must-win game for Duke. But instead of folding, the Bulldogs found another gear.
A nightcap thriller: Georgia flips the script
Everything flipped in extra innings. One swing by Goodwin was all it took to jolt the Bulldogs back to life. Her leadoff home run in the eighth inning broke a 2-2 deadlock and set off a chain reaction Duke couldn’t contain.
Roelling — who had already thrown more than 100 pitches — came back out and shut the door. She scattered five hits across eight innings, struck out four, and never blinked when it mattered most.
One sentence: She was nails when the Bulldogs needed her the most.
It wasn’t just about pitching, though. Georgia’s offense came alive just in time.
Bulldog bats wake up late, but just in time
Until the sixth inning of the nightcap, Georgia had just one run to its name all day.
Then came the breakthrough: a walk, a single, and a hard grounder through the left side by Emily Digby that made it 2-1. That’s all the Bulldogs needed to believe again.
The eighth inning was where the floodgates opened:
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Goodwin homered to deep left to make it 3-2.
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Sarah Gordon singled, prompting Duke to yank starter Cassidy Curd.
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Digby singled, and an error loaded the bases.
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Emma Castorri got plunked. Run scored.
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Then a sac fly from Williams tacked on one more for good measure.
And just like that, Georgia had a 5-2 lead.
Defensive brilliance saves the Bulldogs in the seventh
Duke had a golden chance to walk it off in regulation.
With runners on the corners and one out in the seventh, Tyler Ellison lifted a fly ball to center. Mollie Mitchell tagged up and bolted for home — but Georgia’s D’Auna Jennings threw a laser to the plate.
Bang-bang play. Mitchell was out.
Momentum shifted right then and there. That throw? Might’ve saved the season.
One sentence: It was a bullet, a prayer, and a game-saver all rolled into one.
Duke starts hot, but can’t hang on
Duke looked like the favorite early. They should have — they were the No. 14 national seed and had just run roughshod over Georgia hours before.
Ana Gold’s two-run homer in the first inning of the nightcap put Duke ahead quickly. For a while, it looked like the Blue Devils would cruise again. But their bats went cold.
Duke didn’t score again after the first inning.
Dani Drogemuller came on in relief in the eighth, but the damage was already done. A costly fielding error didn’t help matters either, letting the inning spiral away from the Blue Devils.
Roelling, on the other hand? Ice cold. She gave them nothing.
Georgia eyes Florida as Super Regional looms
With the win, Georgia improves to 34-21 and earns a spot in the Gainesville Super Regional next weekend. Their opponent? SEC rival and third-seeded Florida — a powerhouse program with national championship pedigree.
Here’s a look at what’s next for the Bulldogs:
| Matchup | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia vs. Florida | Gainesville, FL | May 24–26 | Best-of-3 series for a Women’s College World Series berth |
It’s a tough draw, no doubt. But Georgia’s got the kind of grit that doesn’t show up on stat sheets.
Don’t count them out.
