After managing just one run in Friday’s opener, No. 15 Georgia entered Saturday’s double-header with Akron looking to get its bats back on track.
That’s just what happened.
After posting a run-rule 10-0 win in Game 1, the Bulldogs completed the sweep with a 7-2 victory in Game 2 to stay undefeated at 7-0.
“(Friday) was frustrating. We won 1-0, but thank God we had Jonathan Cannon, and thank goodness our defense played the way that it did,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “But we needed to score some runs. Our offense was better today. It’s still not where it needs to be yet, but it’s better and today we had a lot of contributors up and down the lineup.”
Garrett Spikes had a big day.
The sophomore left-handed hitter went a combined 5-for-7 with four RBI for Georgia. The Bulldogs outhit Akron in the two games a combined 26-10.
“We actually hit the ball pretty good (Friday) night, but nothing was really falling,” Spikes said. “We came with a more positive mindset today and put it together.”
A home run by Dwight Allen II led off Game 2 for the Bulldogs, but that would be their last run until a sacrifice fly by Josh McAllister tie the score at 2 all heading to the fifth.
That’s when a two-run single by Spikes gave the Bulldogs their first lead, before RBI singles by Cole Wagner, Connor Tate and Chaney Rogers capped the scoring for Georgia.
Stricklin said Spikes’ 3-for-3 showing in Game 1 was too much to sit him in the second contest.
“You kind of go with the hot hand. He wasn’t in the lineup for Game 2. Before the lineup for Game, I did the lineup for Game 2, but I had to tear it up and Garrett Spikes went into the lineup,” Stricklin said. “He earned it. I wanted to see him keep getting at-bats.”
Starting pitcher Garrett Brown struggled with his control and was pulled after giving up two runs in the first.
Brown, who missed last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was making his second start after going just 1.2 innings last Tuesday against Wofford. Brown only walked one batter in his outing, but following a 22-minute light delay, did not go back in the game on Tuesday.
Sophomore Luke Wagner made sure the Zips (1-5) did not get any more runs.
Wagner (3-0) allowed just two hits and two walks with a career-high six strikeouts before leaving with two runners on the sixth after taking a ball off his foot.
Nolan Crisp made sure Georgia’s 4-2 lead stayed intact, retiring the next three batters to send the game to the sixth.
Two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth iced the game for the Bulldogs.
Crisp, meanwhile, closed out the game with three innings of scoreless relief, retiring nine of 10 batters. Jake Poindexter made his debut and finished off the win with a scoreless ninth.
“I thought that was his (Crisp) best outing since he’s been here,” Stricklin said. “That’s what we’ve seen since the fall. The velo has spiked up just a little bit, and that’s put him over the edge because his fastball has so much life on it.”
Game 1 saw the Bulldogs start slowly before scoring 10 runs and the game was
called in the bottom half of the eighth due to an agreed upon 10-run rule.
Freshman pinch-hitter Dylan Taylor ended the game with a two-run single.
The Bulldogs pounded out 15 hits, including a 3-for-3 effort by right fielder Garrett Spikes, who also drove in a pair of runs.
Parker Haber and Ben Anderson also had two hits each and drove in a run.
Sophomore Liam Sullivan was the winning pitcher, going five innings, surrendering just two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. For Sullivan, it was a nice bounce back after allowing four runs in two innings last weekend against Albany.
Will Pearson added a pair of scoreless innings before freshman Coleman Willis made his Bulldog debut with a scoreless eighth, stranding a pair of runners.
NEXT UP: Georgia and Akron wrap up their series Sunday afternoon. First pitch has been moved to 2 p.m., weather permitting.
