Another home run record came tumbling down for Georgia during Tuesday’s 9-3 win at Kennesaw State.
Three days after Charlie Condon became the school’s single-season and career leader, the Bulldogs set a new team record for home runs in a year, belting four against the Owls for 113.
The old record was 109 set in 63 games during the 2019 season. To reach 113, it only took the Bulldogs 44 games.
Condon contributed to Tuesday’s home run parade, extending his nation-best mark to 30, becoming just the fourth player in SEC history to reach the coveted mark. Kolby Branch, Fernando Gonzalez, and Slate Alford also homered for the Bulldogs.
“You always wonder how you’re going to do after a big emotional weekend,” Bulldog skipper Wes Johnson said on his post-game radio show after his team went 2-2 against top-ranked Texas A&M and No. 4 Clemson. “I challenged our guys right before the game with energy tonight and being locked in.”
The Bulldogs responded.
Condon’s 30th home run of the year put Georgia on the board in the first. That was just the beginning.
A pair of two-run homers by Branch and Gonzalez highlighted a five-run fifth inning for the Bulldogs, who outhit the Owls, 8-4.
Alford’s 12th home run in the seventh and Dylan Goldstein’s RBI double in the eighth added to the scoring for the Bulldogs.
Leadoff hitter Corey Collins had one of the night’s more interesting lines.
Collins went to the plate but did not record an official at-bat, walking four times with a hit by pitch. The senior has now reached base nine straight times without the benefit of a hit.
“It’s just my approach to the plate right now,” Collins said. “Before two strikes, I’m just trying to get something up in the zone and do damage. If I go down 0-2, I’m just competing my tail off, and that’s what I’ve been doing, just let the ball get deeper with two strikes and slowing it down a little bit.”
Georgia’s pitchers did not do badly themselves.
Seven Bulldog pitchers combined on a four-hitter, with the first hit coming in the eighth on a leadoff single by Jemarie Brooks off Brad Radtke.
Zach Harris (4-0) got the win for the Bulldogs (32-12), after three innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
Matthew Hoskins, Chandler Marsh, Brandt Pancer, and Zach Devito followed with an inning each of hitless relief before Radtke took over in the eighth. Max DeJong pitched the ninth, allowing two runs to account for the final score.
“That’s back-to-back starts for Zach where he’s thrown the ball exceptionally well I thought,” Johnson said. “I think Zach’s ready and made that jump where it’s a good chance we see him sometime on the weekend.”
Johnson said he did not get too caught up in Georgia almost tossing its first no-hitter since five players combined on one against Furman in 1999.
“It’s funny. You were hearing some whispering and then somebody said it out loud in the eighth, and when the hit’s given up, they’re all over that guy,” Johnson said. “We won’t mention who it was… strength coach Derek Groomer. But no, guys for the most part were coming in filling up the zone and when you do that with multiple pitches, you’ve got a chance to do things like that.”
Next up for Georgia is a key SEC home series against No. 14 Vanderbilt. Game time Friday is set for 6 p.m. at Foley Field.
