Liberty’s Emily Kirby held one of the best offensive teams in the country in check throughout the duration of the afternoon, tossing a three-hit shutout while tying her season high with 13 strikeouts as the Lady Flames defeated Georgia, 2-0, to open play in the Durham Regional.

It marked just the second time all season the Georgia lineup had been held scoreless and the first time all year they were shutout in a complete 7 inning game. The Bulldogs were held scoreless on April 4 when they lost to No. 4 Alabama, 9-0, in six innings. Playing in their 47th game of the season, Georgia was held to 2 or fewer runs for just the sixth time this season.

Kirby scattered three hits, four walks, and two batters hit by pitch over seven innings. UGA left 10 runners on base during the game, stranding at least one in every inning of the game. This marked Kirby’s 6th shutout of the season as she tossed 135 pitches.

The Lady Flames wasted little time flexing their muscles while facing Georgia for the first time in program history. Devyn Howard led off the game with a shot that hit off the left field wall. Just a couple pitches later, ASUN Player of the Year and Liberty catcher Carolina Hudson roped a ball over the left field fence to give Liberty the early 2-0 lead on the Bulldogs. Liberty improves to 26-1 when scoring first this season.

ASUN Pitcher of the Year Emily Kirby got the start and she quickly struck out the first two Georgia batters of the game. After the Bulldogs drew a walk and were hit by a pitch, Kirby was able to retire the side with her third strikeout of the inning as the Lady Flames maintained the 2-0 lead after the first inning.

The Flames threatened in the top of the second as Raigan Barrett had a infield single and Paige Bachman walked. Georgia pitcher Madison Kerpics would get out of the jam by inducing Devyn Howard into a pop fly to center and the Bulldogs were able to double up Barrett as she wandered too far away from second to end the frame.

In the bottom of the second, Georgia drew a one-out walk followed by their first hit of the game, a ball that got into the gap in right-center field. That went for a double as the runners moved to 2nd and third with one out. Kirby was able to record the second out with a fly ball to right field that was too shallow to advance the runners. Facing leadoff batter Sydney Chambley and Georgia’s top hitter on deck with two outs, Kirby came back from a 3-0 count to strikeout Chambley and leave Mosley, with her team-leading 17 home runs and .430 batting average, waiting in the on deck circle.

With the score remaining 2-0, the Bulldogs put pressure on Kirby and the Liberty defense for a third straight inning in the bottom of the third. After getting Mosley to ground out to second, the next two batters reached by virtue of a walk and hit by pitch. Georgia would sacrifice the runners over to second and third with a bunt to the pitcher, but Kirby would strike out Sydney Kuma end the inning and the threat. Georgia stranded six runners through the first three innings.

Rachel Roupe got on base with one out on an infield single in the top of the fourth, but Georgia would limit the damage as Barrett’s bunt ended the inning as she was out at first and Roupe was thrown out at third as she tried to move from first to third on the bunt.

Kirby once again got out of the fourth inning unscathed, striking out two batters in the inning as she worked around Georgia’s second hit of the game. The runner was stranded at third after stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error by Hudson.

After Liberty was retired in order in the top of the fifth for the first time all game, the Bulldogs again advanced a runner to third on a walk, stolen base, and Hudson throwing error. That’s as far as UGA could advance the runner as Kirby struck out two in the inning, leaving a runner stranded on third for a second straight inning.

Georgia’s Kerpics settled in and retired eight straight, sitting the Flames down in order for a second straight inning in the top of the sixth. In the bottom half, Kirby kept up her strong dealing from the circle. The Bulldogs picked up their third hit of the game, but two fly outs and Kirby’s 11th strikeout victim of the afternoon moved Liberty to the 7th inning with a 2-0 lead.

Georgia, a Women’s College World Series participant a year ago, was the last remaining SEC that Liberty had never faced in softball prior to Friday’s meeting.

With the win, Liberty advances in the winner’s bracket of the Durham Regional. The Lady Flames will play the winner of No. 12 overall seed and UMBC, the 4-seed in the region, on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The winner of that game will advance to the Regional Final, scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. The loser of Saturday’s game three, will be in an elimination game later in the day Saturday, at approximately 6 p.m.

Here’s an updated look at the Durham Regional schedule:

Friday, May 20

Game 1: (3) Liberty 2, (2) Georgia 0
Game 2: (1) Duke 4, (4) UMBC 0

Saturday, May 21

Game 3: (3) Liberty vs. (1) Duke, 1 p.m.
Game 4: (2) Georgia vs (4) UMBC), 3:30 p.m. (elimination game)
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs Loser Game 3, 6 p.m. (elimination game)

Sunday, May 22

Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 2 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs Loser Game 6, 4:30 p.m. (if necessary)