Georgia Makes Up for the VCU Loss with a Big Win over Hofstra
Georgia bounced back in a big way today as they beat the Hofstra Pride 24-1. The Dawgs desperately needed a good showing from all facets of the game, and the team delivered. It was a chance to show their veteran experience and not let last night affect them Saturday afternoon, as they got it rolling early in the game and never looked back.
Before we get into the offensive explosion, let's give major props where it's due to left-handed starter Liam Sullivan. The Bulldogs needed the sophomore to step up and give them a long outing to extend the bullpen for the rest of the weekend; needless to say; he did just that and more. Sullivan pitched to a final line of 7 IP, 1 ER, six hits, 1 BB, and 8Ks. The biggest turning point in the game came in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Hofstra got runners on first and second with no outs. Momentum looked to be swinging to the Pride dugout, but Sullivan stepped up and produced a double play and a strikeout to kill the rally. From there on, it was cruise control for the lefty through the seventh, when freshman Coleman Willis and sophomore Collin Caldwell came on to close it out for the Red and Black.
Josh McAllister and Ben Anderson finally got the bats going with back-to-back home runs in the top of the third. After a walk to Chaney Rodgers, McAllister had a good at-bat where he fought off a lot of fastballs and finally jumped all over a 3-2 breaking ball to give the Dawgs an early 2-0 lead. After two straight days of really good at-bats by Ben Anderson, he finally saw some results as he put one in the catch net beyond the right field wall.
That was only the beginning, as the floodgates finally busted open for the UGA offense. Hitting proved once again that it is contagious as the Dawgs added ten more runs in the 3rd to extend their lead to 13. Georgia watched 14 hitters reach base consecutively before an out was recorded in the inning. Highlights included a three-run bomb by Connor Tate, a triple by Parks Harber, and a pair of doubles by Fernando Gonzales and Corey Acton. The offense drove in 11 more runs throughout the rest of the game, including homers by Acton, Harber, Cole Wagner, and another one by Josh McAllister.
It was a much-needed showing from the Bulldog offense, one of those days that could swing the momentum the Dawgs have been lacking. It's been a tough stretch for Coach Stricklin's team, but it only takes one inning to get some magic back in a dugout. Georgia fans and the team alike both hope this could be the case for the Dawgs as the rest of the weekend looms. They will watch now as the one-seed UNC Tar Heels take on a familiar VCU Rams team at 7 pm, with the Dawgs taking on the loser at 1 pm tomorrow. The Dawgs have a lot of options after Sullivan's gem; we will see how Coach Stricklin and staff decide to attack it.
What Happened Against VCU?
The game got off to a rough start for the Dawgs, and just continued to get rougher. The VCU Rams beat the Georgia Bulldogs 8-1 as they punched their ticket for a matchup with the number one seeded North Carolina. So what went wrong for the Dawgs against the Rams?
VCU jumped on Georgia ace Jonathon Cannon early in the 1st inning with a 3-run homer off the scoreboard by Conner Hujsak. As they always are, the Rams' hitters came out very aggressively against Cannon, and it paid off. After a Locklear single and an 0-2 hit by pitch, Hujsak jumped all over a 2-1 fastball and gave the Rams an early lead. 0-2 hit by pitches (HBP) will have pitchers staring at their ceiling fans at 2 am, and when it's followed by a homer, they might just not sleep at all. In the second, a single and a very long at-bat to leadoff hitter Ben Nippolt that ended in a walk led to an RBI double from Locklear on the first pitch he saw to extend the lead to 4-0.
After a solo homer in the third, Cannon's day was all but done with a final line of 3.2 IP, 5 ER, seven hits, 3ks, one walk, and 3 HBPs. It was a tough day for the righty as he got very few swings and misses and had trouble locating his off-speed pitches. Nevertheless, the VCU hitters were able to get two hits and 3 HBPs with two strikes, and Nippolt turned a 1-2 count into a walk. Davis Rokose, Will Pearson, Michael Polk, and Bryce Melear combined to finish the game for the Bulldogs, limiting the damage to 3 runs over the next 5.1 innings.
VCU starter Tyler Davis gave VCU exactly what they needed out of him. He worked quickly and efficiently to a final line of 3.2 IP, 0 ER, two hits, 3 BB, and most importantly, held the early lead the Rams gave him. Sidearm righty Chase Hungate took over and did much of the same. He gave the Rams 3.1 innings of 1 run ball out of the bullpen, and in a tournament where pitching depth is necessary, his showing won't go unnoticed by the VCU coaching staff. Finally, Righty Jack Masloff came on to seal the victory for the Rams.
For the UGA lineup, it was a frustrating day. The lineup put together a lot of really good at-bats and barreled up a lot of balls, but just nothing to show for it. While they did a good job of grinding at-bats and hitting balls hard, it was the numbers with runners in scoring position (RISP) that told the story. The Dawgs combined to hit 1-11 with RISP and just never could consistently find holes at the right time.
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