Much has been made of the experience of this year’s Georgia team, which featured five fifth-year players in the starting lineup for Saturday’s game against defending national champion Mississippi State.
One area where head coach Scott Stricklin believes this experience pays off is during at-bats when games are on the line.
Cole Tate is one of those five. In the bottom of the ninth, he came through as you’d expect a veteran would when he singled in Chaney Rogers to lift the No. 18 Bulldogs to a 12-11 win.
“I was just trying to do what I do best, hit line drives,” said Tate, who drilled a 2-1 pitch off Jackson Fristoe for the game winner. “Experience helps a lot. A lot of people have been in different situations. I’ve been in a lot of them. You just try to stay relaxed, stay chilled out, and usually that’s the best way to get through those situations.”
A season-high crowd of 3,692 saw the Bulldogs (16-3, 2-0) twice rally back, first from a four-run deficit and later from down two. Georgia ultimately won its sixth straight game and the 600th of Stricklin's career.
“The heartrate goes down a lot if you’ve been there and done it before,” Stricklin said. “He goes to 2-0, takes two close pitches before getting one he can hit. That’s a mature at-bat. If he was a freshman or sophomore. I don’t know if that happens.”
The game, which saw the two teams combine for 21 walks, was certainly a crazy one.
Corey Collins led the Bulldogs by going 3 for 4 with his seventh home run and four RBIs. Chaney Rogers (2 for 5) also drove in three runs.
“It can be a grind, but in games like this, anytime you can take a win is a positive,” Collins said. “I thought we were very resilient today.”
Bulldog starter Luke Wagner struggled with his control, walking three in three innings with No. 24 Mississippi State jumping out to a 5-1 lead.
Following a sacrifice fly by Josh McAllister, a cue-shot single through the hole in left by Collins brought home a pair to cut the lead to one.
Reliever Chandler Marsh allowed a one-out homer to Kellum Clark in the fifth before the Bulldogs rallied with six in the sixth for a 10-6 lead. A bases-clearing double by Rogers keyed the innings.
Unfortunately, Georgia’s bullpen could not hold the lead.
Collin Caldwell replaced Marsh, but could not find the strike zone, ultimately walking the bases loaded and bringing Jaden Woods into the fray.
Woods would get a strikeout for the second out, but RJ Yeager would get the answer, blasting a grand slam to tie the game at 10.
Collins’ seventh home run in the bottom of the eighth put Georgia up by one, only to have Woods supply his second long ball, this one to Brad Cumbest to the game at 11.
Caldwell and Woods—who have allowed five home runs in 18.1 innings—combined to allow five earned runs in 2.2 innings.
“He’s our guy. We’re going to keep giving him the ball. He’s not able to throw his change-up right now; that’s something he and Coach (Sean) Kenny are working on,” Stricklin said. “His breaking ball has actually gotten better. He’s just missing spots with his fastball.”
Jack Gowen (1-0), who replaced Woods in the ninth and got one out stranding runners at first and second, earned the win against Mississippi State, who fell to 11-9, 0-2.
NOTES: Georgia and Mississippi State wrap up their three-game series Sunday at noon. Garrett Brown (0-0, 5.40) will pitch for the Bulldogs against Cade Smith (3-0, 2.05). … Collins’ RBI single in the third extended his streak of reaching base to 17 games.
