It was a long day Sunday at Foley Field, but it was worth it for Georgia, which swept a pair from Lipscomb Sunday, 9-2 and 9-5.
The wins boost the Bulldogs to 14-3 ahead of SEC play which opens Friday against defending national champion Mississippi State.
Ben Anderson made sure the evening would have a happy ending.
His three-run homer on the first pitch against lefty reliever Noah Thompson in the sixth inning of Game 2 added a nice cushion to what was just a 5-4 lead.
“I thought it was going out, but I didn’t know if it was going to stay fair,” Anderson said of his third home run. “Once it went out, I think it put them down a little and helped us finish the game.”
For head coach Scott Stricklin, the doubleheader sweep made a long day at the ballpark worthwhile.
“When you’ve got to be here this long, you’ve got to bring energy,” Stricklin said. “I thought our guys did a good job of staying focused. We play so many guys. If you play just nine guys all the time, it’s tough to have energy. But we can pinch run, pinch hit, do a lot of things at any time during the game, and that keeps guys in the game."
In Game 2, Garrett Brown made his third start of the year, but once again could not get past the third innings.
The tall right-hander struggled, allowing four runs on eight hits in just 2.2 innings, spotting the Bison a 4-2 lead before the Bulldogs (14-3) rallied.
A single run in the brought Georgia within one, before taking the lead on an RBI single by Cole Tate and a sacrifice fly by Connor Tate.
Anderson’s three-run homer in the sixth gave the Bulldogs an 8-4 lead. Georgia would add a run in the seventh on bunt by Shane Marshall to account for the final score.
The way relievers Luke Wagner, Chandler Marsh, and Jack Gowen were going, the Bulldogs did not need any more.
Wagner, who was credited with his SEC-leading fifth win, scattered three hits over three scoreless innings, followed by 2.1 scoreless by Marsh and Gowen in the ninth. Gowen allowed a two-out homer by Rudy Maxwell in the ninth to account for the final score.
Amazingly, it could have and should have been more, as Georgia stranded 17 runners in the nine-inning game.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases six times over the first seven innings, but heading to the fifth, had only managed a first inning run on a bloop single to left by Cole Wagner.
Fortunately, Georgia’s luck would change.
A two-run single with the bases loaded by Parks Harber (1-for-1 with three RBI) stopped the skid, before the Bulldogs added five in the seventh for an 8-0 lead.
“We knew we were knocking on the door, and we just had to stay positive,” Harber said. “We would have loved to have gotten some of those guys in early. But I was ready. Coach had told me if they brought a left-hander in, to be ready to come off the bench. I was able to put a good swing and get a big hit.”
Meanwhile, starting pitcher Liam Sullivan (2-1) was impressive.
The sophomore left hander went five innings, blanking the Bison on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts before being replaced by Jaden Woods to start the sixth.
Woods gave up two runs on a home run in two innings, before Nolan Crisp stranded two in a scoreless eighth followed by a 1-2-3 ninth to end the game.
NOTES:
… Catcher Fernando Gonzalez took a foul tip off his finger in Game 2 and had to leave the game. Fortunately, head coach Scott Stricklin said early indications are that Gonzalez is fine. “We were concerned about it, because it swelled up pretty quick and it went numb,” Stricklin said. “But right now, the X-rays are good. We’ll take some more pictures (Monday), but he’s bending it, he’s feeling good, so we feel pretty positive that he will be OK.”
… Cole Wagner’s three hits in Game 1 was a career-high for the true freshman.
…. Georgia hosts USC-Upstate Tuesday at 5 p.m. before opening SEC play next weekend against defensive national champion Mississippi State.
… With his first inning walk in Game 2, Ben Anderson has reached base in 14 straight games.
