As far as season-openers are concerned, Friday’s 8-5 loss by Georgia to Jacksonville State qualified as a certified dud.
It was ugly.
Last year, the Bulldogs finished last in the SEC in walks (288) and next-to-last in hit-batters (78), and third from the bottom in home runs allowed (80). Based on that, Friday was not the start anybody had hoped to see.
Not only did Georgia pitchers combine to walk eight batters, but four hit-batters and three home runs helped ruin whatever chance the Bulldogs had of coming away with a victory.
“It was very frustrating to see that; just too many free passes,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “We preach every day, with the wind blowing out, solo homers aren’t going to beat you. But you can’t give away free opportunities, and we certainly did.”
The ninth inning was a microcosm of Georgia’s problems.
The Bulldogs were one strike away from getting back to the dugout with the game still tied. Instead, a one-of-three hit-batters by Luke Wagner (0-1) and a walk by Chandler Marsh turned into the go-ahead run on a two-out single by Mason Maners.
Georgia tried to rally in the ninth, but Connor Tate and Parks Harber followed with strikeouts to end the game.
“I think we’re going to be a really good offensive club. But AJ Causey (JSU starter) is a really good pitcher, and (Jake) Peppers, both of those are SEC-type guys,” Stricklin said. “But again, we’ve got to cut down on the free passes, because it’s going to be tough to win games. Offensively, we’re going to score some runs. But it’s hard to combat that when you’re giving up too many free passes.”
Jacksonville State outhit the Bulldogs 10-9, with two of Georgia’s going for home runs by Ben Anderson and Corey Collins.
“Overall, the at-bats were not bad, but we could have had some better ones in big situations,” Anderson said. “Bottom line … we’ve just got to be better.”
This was not the sort of beginning that starter Jaden Woods was hoping for.
Not only did the junior struggle with his command, walking five, but he gave up a pair of two-run homers to T.J. Reeves and Michael Dallas, both in the second inning, putting the Gamecocks ahead 4-0.
It could have been even worse.
Woods, who gave up 12 homers in 54.1 homers last year, loaded the bases in the first before striking out former Bulldog teammate Bear Madilak for the final out. Woods walked five in his two innings of work.
“He just didn’t throw enough strikes. He was behind in the count,” Stricklin said of Woods. “When the wind’s blowing out and you’re not throwing your breaking ball for strikes that’s a bad combination. Solo shots don’t beat you with the wind blowing out, but I think he gave up two, two-run home runs.”
Charlie Goldstein replaced Woods in the third and gave up a run for a 5-0 JSU lead before Anderson put the Bulldogs on the board with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning.
A 445-foot shot by Collins brought Georgia within 5-3 in the fourth.
Kyle Greenler made his Bulldog debut and escaped some danger in the fifth by getting Madilak out on a grounder to short with the bases loaded.
The Bulldogs received a gift run in the fifth when Gamecock starter AJ Causey balked in a run.
After a scoreless sixth by Dalton Rhadans, Wagner escaped the seventh despite back-to-back hit hitters, setting up the Bulldogs up to tie the game in the inning’s bottom half on an RBI double by Harber.
Next up
Georgia and Jacksonville State play Game 2 of their three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m. with junior lefty Liam Sullivan getting the start. The series concludes Sunday at 1.
