Chambley has historic weekend, helps Bulldogs defeat Hokies and advance to the Super Regionals
Chambley has historic weekend, helps Bulldogs defeat Hokies and advance to the Super Regionals
ATHENS — Georgia softball veteran Sydney Chambley had a weekend to remember.
On Sunday, Chambley helped the Bulldogs defeat Virginia Tech 12-3 to advance to the Super Regionals. She hit two home runs, had four RBIs and scored two runs against the Hokies.
Chambley was the spark for a Georgia offense that scored 33 runs in three games this weekend.
“It means a lot when every single person on your team has your back, no matter what their role is,” Chambley said. “I’m proud we have such a great culture and a great love for one another.”
Chambley blasted four home runs, had seven hits, and drove in 13 runs over the last three games. The Dallas, Ga., native also is the third player in program history to have a four-hit performance in an NCAA tournament game, which came on Sunday against the Hokies.
In Sunday’s win over Virginia Tech, No. 14-seeded Georgia plated five runs in the top of the first inning. Chambley had a clutch two-run homer to extend the Bulldogs’ lead to 4-0 over the Hokies. She also had a two-run dinger in the third, which made it a 7-0 game.
Chambley’s single to right field scored third basemen Sara Mosley in the sixth. Her effort gave Georgia a commanding 12-2 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning. The Bulldogs were able to secure the win as pitcher Shelby Walters finished the game.
“I think we’ve done a great job of fighting for what we want,” Chambley said. “One thing we worked really hard on this weekend was finding a way, just being determined and figuring it out I think we did a really good job of that and passing the bat because all of the things that happened and the runs that were scored couldn’t happen without one after the other passing the bat through the lineup. I think that process of just stepping up to the plate and getting your job done was our mindset and it just paid off for us.”
Chambley is batting .331, which currently is the team’s fifth-highest average. She has also totaled 12 home runs, 48 RBIs and 39 runs scored with a .713 slugging percentage in 2023.
Chambley has done all this after missing most of 2022 with an injury. She only played in 41 games during her sophomore campaign after suffering hurting her hand against Clemson.
In 2021, Chambley started in 56 games and was named to the SEC All-Freshmen Team. She was also one of three players to have a .300 batting average and 10-plus home runs.
Chambley’s success over the past three seasons has been vital to Georgia’s overall team success, and she’s primed to help the Bulldogs out in the Super Regionals as well.
“I feel like this has been coming the last couple of weeks,” Georiga head coach Tony Baldwin said. “Leading into the SEC Tournament, my conversations with some of the reporters were that Sydney was about to get hot. Her time was coming. She got a big hit against South Carolina in that series that we won here at home and she got a big hit in the SEC Tournament to give us a chance. So, this has been building. You can only wish for somebody to be hot and see the smile and rewards. That’s the best part of the job.”
A huge part of her success goes back to her faith. Chambley also trusts her coaches and teammates when things get tough or when she goes on a cold streak to get her out of it.
“I credit Jesus and a lot of hard work put through not getting the outcomes you want,” she said. “If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that determination and fighting for what you want every single day in the midst of it not going your way, it’s honestly shaped the softball player I am. This year in particular. As coach Baldwin said, it’s just been a long time coming. Having him and my coaches on my side in the midst of the turmoil and what feels so big, the reality is, softball is a game I am playing because I love it. Since I was really little. So, just going back to that and working for that little girl in me that dreamed of having a jersey on me at this point and time. Trusting what I can do and knowing that my teammates and coaches believe in me, too. And just going out there and competing for them, that’s been the focus of the past few weeks for me.”