Georgia’s best start in school history added another win to the ledger as the third-ranked Bulldogs rolled past visiting Queens University on Tuesday at Foley Field, 21-1.
With the victory, Wes Johnson’s squad extends its record to 29-2 ahead of this weekend’s first-ever road trip to Austin, Texas, to take on the No. 5 Longhorns.
The game was called after the top of the seventh due to the 10-run rule.
“I challenged our guys really hard. It's easy coming off of the series we just had, with a very emotional, long day on Saturday. There's a lot of hype around our series this weekend so people could lose focus," Johnson said. "I really challenged them today to lock in, stay focused, respect the game, and play it one pitch at a time. I think we did that. I thought we got off a couple of good swings there in the first, and in innings two and three, that we just missed. Our game's a game of eyelashes sometimes, so I thought it was our approach. I thought we respected the game well, locked in, and we didn't give anything away.”
Georgia added four more home runs to their ledger, a number that now stands at 84, tops in the country.
Two of the homers came courtesy of Slate Alford and Robbie Burnett, who joined Devin Obee as two Bulldogs to hit two grand slams on the afternoon.
Burnett (2-for-5) drove in a team-high six runs for Georgia, followed by Alford (4-for-5) with five, Obee with four, and Kolby Branch (2-for-3) with three.
A four-run second followed by an 8-run fifth and an 8-run sixth did the visiting Royals (4-22) in.
"“I think we have the best offense in the country, and we are showing that every single day. We just take it one day at a time. We just focus on the opponent at hand," Obee said. "We’re not thinking about Texas, Alabama, or whoever it is. It’s the game today. We were preparing for Queens University of Charlotte, and we were ready for that game.”
Tuesday’s game also allowed Johnson to get seven different pitchers some work.
That included Zach Harris (2-0) and Jordan Stephens, who threw a scoreless inning before Queens scratched across its only run off Davis Chastain in the third.
Davis would have to leave the game after appearing to twist his ankle covering the first base bag, but overall, that was the only blip against the Bulldogs for the day.
The final four pitchers only allowed two hits the rest of the game, including Alton Davis II, who tossed a scoreless fifth with two strikeouts, and freshman Nate Taylor, who struck out three in the sixth.
Georgia now prepares for its trip to Texas. The Bulldogs and Longhorns will play a three-game series starting Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“It's still a game. There's nothing bigger or whatever. You have to go out, you have to stay focused, just like they were tonight. I think part of the things that happen, the guys can make things too big. They'll get outside their approach. They'll try to hit five run homers with nobody on, and they'll try to strike out the side when there's nobody out with the guy in the box," Johnson said. "I'm just trying to keep them right here and understand we just have to go play baseball and play our game if we can. We'll be in every game we play.”
News and Notes
...The Bulldogs posted a season-high 21 runs, the most runs scored in a game for Georgia since a 24-7 road win over Auburn in 2023.
...Saturday's game marks the second time Alford has led off a game with a home run this season and his second two-home run game of the year Burnett’s six RBI are a career high. He has 51 career home runs.
...Junior Zach Harris (2-0) recorded his second win of the season and the seventh of his career as the Bulldogs employed seven pitchers on the day.
...Freshman Nate Taylor (0-0) matched his career-high three strikeouts in his fourth appearance for the Bulldogs and first since March 11.