Bulldogs bounce back, force Game Three

Game 3

Monday: 7 p.m.

TV: ESPN

The Georgia Bulldogs are still alive.

Behind the right arm of Leighton Finley and a quartet of home runs, the Bulldogs routed North Carolina State 11-2 on Sunday at Foley Field, forcing a third and deciding game in the Athens Super Regional for a trip to the College World Series.

The two teams will play on Monday at a still-to-be-determined time, depending on the outcome of Sunday’s other Super Regional games. The game will start at 7 p.m. and be televised on ESPN.

Georgia will be trying for its first trip to the College World Series since 2008 when the Bulldogs finished second before losing to Fresno State in the championship series.

"It’s nothing special we did as coaches, we just got them ready to play and these guys went and did it," head coach Wes Johnson said. "For us, to bounce back was huge, and just coming out, staying focused, and playing the game."

Finley was spectacular.

The sophomore from Richmond Hill (6-1) pitched a career-high 6.2 innings, scattering eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts before coming out in the seventh after throwing 107 pitches.

"I try to always think of it as just another game and never forget to have fun," Finely said. "So, I tried to make it just like a regular season Game 2, that we need this to win the series. I just tried not to overthink."

Offensively, the Bulldogs took out their frustrations after Saturday’s 18-1 loss to the Wolfpack (37-21) by blasting four home runs – one each by Slate Alford, Tre Phelps, Paul Toetz, and Corey Collins.

Needing a fast start after Saturday’s loss, Alford’s two-run homer in the first inning gave the Bulldogs just what they were looking for.

"Wherever they need me, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t change," Alford said. "Wherever I am in the lineup the job stays the same. I’m just glad I could help our team win."

The Wolfpack tried to rally back on the second before the Bulldogs caught a huge break.

With runners at first and second with nobody out, Alex Sosa lofted a short fly to short center that Jacob Cozart inexplicably tried to tag and move to third but was thrown out easily for a double play.

Catcher Fernando Gonzalez then threw out Brandon Butterworth trying to steal for the third out and keep the score 2-0.

"There's the difference between yesterday and today. Yesterday we didn't execute on some defensive plays today. Today, you know, that's what good teams can do when you're in their (N.C. State) situation. You can force the issue to try and get some things going and hopefully get us rattled again," Johnson said. "The throw and the double play there, we had three of them today, even carrying over to the one Logan Jordan made where we went 3-6-3, those are hard to turn. We did a phenomenal job with that. The other thing it does when you get those, it allows your starter to go deeper into games when you get those double plays. We needed that to keep our bullpen in check to potentially make a run at this thing (Monday)."

The freshman Phelps would give Georgia additional cushion in the third.

His two-out, three-run homer over the batter’s eye in center extended the advantage to 5-0.

'I did (expect a big freshman year), but there's nothing towards my season. It's all about the team's season," Phelps said. "Whether I was hurt or not, I wanted everybody to succeed no matter whether I was in the box or the next person was. Having that with me, being able to go up today and hit that three-run bomb, that's what drove that."

There was more offense to come.

Georgia tacked on three more runs in the fourth, one on a double off the wall by Kolby Branch (2-for-4) and an RBI groundout by Collins (2-for-5) for an 8-0 lead.

Home runs by Toetz (2-for-5) in the sixth, an RBI single by Gonzalez (3-for-4), and Collins’ 20th homer in the eighth capped the scoring for the Bulldogs.

That would be plenty for Finley, who came on in the 10th inning of the Athens Regional championship to record the save against Georgia Tech.

The only run he allowed came in the seventh inning after his defensive nearly turned a double play to escape the inning unscathed.

Instead, the fielder’s choice gave North Carolina State its first run before Brian Zeldin closed out the contest by pitching the final 2.1 innings.

"I tried to bring that same intensity that I did the game against Tech," Finley said. "I mean, these games are really big, so we’ve got to do our best. I tried to bring what I had.

Zeldin allowed Cozart's third home run of the series before finishing off the game with a scoreless ninth.

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