The eighth-ranked Georgia softball team has sorely missed Megan Wiggins.

Wiggins, a first-team All-SEC performer as a freshman, came through in the clutch for the Bulldogs (42-10) with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.

The sophomore outfielder had missed 20 games this season with a broken hand, including Georgia’s SEC Tournament loss to Kentucky. Wiggins made her return during the opening regional game and with one out and one runner on-base in the final frame against North Carolina, she eliminated the Tar Heels from the tournament with her two-run shot to centerfield to seal Georgia’s 4-2 victory.

“Those are the best games,” Georgia head coach Lu Harris-Champer said about the walk-off homer. “There’s nothing more fun than a heated battle and great competition. There’s nothing more fun than that – you’ve got to love it.”

Georgia pitchers Sarah McCloud and Christie Hamilton combined to hold North Carolina to only three hits and two runs, with Hamilton (23-8) earning the victory.

Georgia held the early lead in the game after first baseman Brianna Hesson’s sacrifice fly scored sophomore Taylor Schlopy from third base in the first inning.

North Carolina would take the lead in the top of the fifth inning when Danielle Spaulding, who also received the loss on the mound, hit a two-run home run to give the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead. Spaulding fell to just 20-4 on the season with the loss.

Georgia would tie the game back at 2-2 in the bottom of the when Wiggins drew a walk off of Spaulding with the bases loaded.

Wiggins, who completed the regional going just 2-for-9, then delivered her game-winning home run with Georgia’s season on the line. National player of the year candidate Alisa Goler was Georgia’s top performer at the regional as she went 5-for-9 with two RBIs in the three games.

With the win, Georgia improved to 3-0 in the Chapel Hill Regional and advances to the Super Regional – both for the second season in a row. Georgia beat Radford 3-1 and North Carolina 6-0 and 4-2 to go undefeated in Chapel Hill. The Bulldogs will now face Ohio State, the winner of the Columbus bracket, in the Super Regional at an unspecified site.

“Every game we play is experience for us and we’re happy to still be playing,” said Harris-Champer. “We can’t wait to get home and get some rest and get back at it. We just want to do what we’ve done all year long.”