Jayda Kearney blasts 3 HRs as Georgia downs Ohio State

No. 15 Georgia powered their way past Ohio State, 11-4, behind three home runs by Jayda Kearney.

Kearney, a preseason All-American center fielder, finished the day 4-4, mixing in a first-inning RBI single to go along with her three home runs. With her impressive afternoon, Kearney became just the second Georgia Bulldog ever with a three home run game and the first since Alyssa DiCarlo popped three in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA record for most homers in a single game is four, which is a feat six batters have accomplished. It was last achieved by Arkansas’s Danielle Gibson against SIUE on Feb. 23, 2019. 

The first Bulldogs 💣 of the season belongs to @jaydakearney‼️

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— Georgia Softball (@UGASoftball) February 10, 2023

Kearney hit Georgia’s first home run of the season, a towering solo shot over the left field wall to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead in the third inning. In her next at-bat, she took a looping off-speed pitch to straight away center field. This fifth-inning, two-run homer put the ‘Dawgs in front 6-4.

.@jaydakearney‘s SECOND HOME RUN of the day is a ✌️-run shot to center!!

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— Georgia Softball (@UGASoftball) February 10, 2023

Kearney’s second homer of the day was the first of two two-run home runs hit in Georgia’s five-run fifth inning. The second hit was by Jaiden Fields, the younger sister of Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields. Fields’ homer extended Georgia’s lead to five runs heading into the sixth inning.

With a runner on first and one out in the sixth inning, Kearney stepped back in and took a 1-0 fastball the opposite way and over the wall in right center. 

🚨 3️⃣-HOME RUN GAME ALERT 🚨 @jaydakearney blasts her THIRD HOME RUN, another two-run shot, to go ahead 7️⃣ on Ohio State!

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📈 https://t.co/68weXasqFp#Team27 | #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/iRZWURmlEq

— Georgia Softball (@UGASoftball) February 10, 2023

Behind Kearney’s offensive showcase, Georgia moved to 2-0 on the season after defeating No. 18 UCF on Thursday night.