WILMINGTON, N.C. – Saturday’s second game against Quinnipiac was a grind, as it took a three-run eighth by Georgia to pull out a 7-4 win.
Tied at 4, Robbie Burnett – who just missed a three-run homer – singled in the go-ahead run in his next at-bat.
The transfer from UNC-Asheville has been the early story for the Bulldogs.
After stealing four bases Friday, Burnett stole three more against Quinnipiac. He was followed by Slate Alford, who singled in Burnett and Tre Phelps for a 7-4 lead.
The win went to Georgia State transfer Davis Chastain, with DJ Radtke earning his first save as a Bulldog after tossing a scoreless eighth and ninth.
Other items of note:
• Charlie Goldstein could not have asked for a better outing.
After undergoing Internal Brace surgery in the offseason, it took Goldstein just nine pitches to get through the top of the first. The lefty retired all three batters he faced, including a strikeout of Sebastian Mueller on three straight pitches.
• Goldstein was followed by Leighton Finley, who allowed three runs, with only one being earned. He walked two and struck out four.
• Burnett’s three steals gave him seven for the year. Georgia’s team leader last spring had just four. He has now reached base in all nine of his plate appearances.
• Freshman Bryce Clavon and Erik Parker made their debuts. Both players came in as pinch-runners, with Parker scoring a run.
• Quinnipiac pitchers walked nine 10 and hit five batters.
• Georgia had two runners picked off at second base.
• ABAC transfer Jordan Stephens made his Bulldog debut and responded with a scoreless inning. He touched 99 mph with one of his fastballs.
The game started much like Friday, as the first five batters reached base to start the game for the Bulldogs, who were only able to scratch out a pair of runs.
The score stayed that way until the fourth when Quinnipiac (0-3) scored three runs, although only one was earned thanks to an error at first by Ryland Zaborowski who failed to field a high hope allowing the tying run to score.
After a triple by Nolan McCarthy tied the game in the sixth, Zaborowski made up for the boot with an RBI single in the seven for a 5-4 Georgia lead.
Quinnipiac would tie the game in the bottom of the seventh before the Bulldogs responded with three in the eighth on RBI singles by Burnett and Alford.
