If the non-conference portion of the schedule has taught Georgia skipper Scott Stricklin anything, when you’re talking starting pitching, his 15th-ranked Bulldogs do indeed appear to have plenty of options.
Wednesday was C.J. Smith’s turn to shine.
The sophomore lefty allowed no runs on just two hits, tying a career-high by pitching six innings with a career-best seven strikeouts, as Georgia beat Jacksonville State 5-1 to improve to 11-2 on the year.
“I just wanted to come out and attack the strike zone,” Smith said. “Other than that, I just wanted to trust the defense, let them make plays, and let them work behind me, make it where they can make plays.”
Stricklin wasn’t surprised.
Despite a second straight day of cold temperatures, Smith was able to stay focused, mixing in a quality changeup with a sneaky quick fastball and curve to keep Gamecock hitters off balance.
“He’s very Tom Glavine-esque,” Stricklin said. “He mixes in a nice change-up, and his fastball is good enough to get in on you. It’s 90, 91 when he needs it, with a good breaking ball, a good changeup; he’s just got a really good demeanor.”
Smith (2-0) has yet to allow a run in 12 innings this year, giving up just five hits, with four walks and 13 strikeouts, complimenting what’s been an outstanding beginning for Georgia’s starters. As a unit, they have a combined ERA of just 1.77.
“It’s really what we thought we’d have,” Stricklin said. “Six different guys have started and they’ve all done a really, really good job. We came into this thing saying we’d have seven guys who could be starters, and Ryan Webb could be that other guy.”
Smith, who set the Gamecocks (5-8) down in order in four of his six innings, only allowed one base runner to reach second base. That came in the sixth, when Adams Nash walked before moving up on a wild pitch.
After escaping the jam, Ryan Webb replaced Smith to start the seventh, who after giving up a leadoff home run to Taylor Craven to cut Georgia’s lead to 5-1, retired the next three batters to send the game into the inning’s bottom half.
Webb pitched into the ninth, allowing a hit and walk before giving way to Aaron Schunk who faced just one batter, but enticed a double play to end the game, picking up his fourth save.
Offensively, Georgia managed seven hits against five Gamecock pitchers, but made them count, getting a pair of two-run homers from Tucker Maxwell and Schunk.
John Cable accounted for the Bulldogs’ final run with an RBI double in the seventh.
After stealing a school-record 10 bases in Tuesday’s 11-3 win over Alabama State, freshman left fielder Randon Jernigan got Georgia’s running train going again after reaching on a one-out fielder’s choice in the third.
Jernigan stole second and then stole third, before Maxwell launched a two-run homer deep over the fence in right.
One inning later, it was Schunk, whose line drive carried over the fence in left, bringing home Riley King for a 4-0 Bulldog lead. It was also home run No. 3 for the preseason All-American, tying the number he hit in 241 at-bats last year.
“I’m just trying to get up there and put good swings on,” Schunk said. “I’ve personally been struggling a little bit, so being able to do that felt pretty good.”
Georgia returns to action Friday for the first of three games against Presbyterian. Following a midweek game Wednesday at Georgia State, the Bulldogs open SEC play March 15 at South Carolina.
