Seth Rainey
Wilcox and the lineup’s top three lead Dawgs to Game 2 win
Those at Foley Field were allowed to breathe easy today as the #4 Georgia Bulldogs (2-0) defeated the Richmond Spiders (0-2) by a score of 9-3. Thanks to strong performances from Georgia’s top half of the lineup and starter Cole Wilcox, a second straight comeback wasn’t necessary.
Georgia bats led by top three
The Bulldogs’ bats began doing damage early. Ben Anderson led off the first inning with a single. Cam Shepherd built off his strong opening night with an RBI double, then scored on a massive home run by Tucker Bradley. Bradley’s blast, which hit the scoreboard, put the Dawgs up 3-0 after three hitters had come to the plate.
The 1-2-3 punch of Anderson, Shepherd, and Bradley combined to go 9-for-12 with a double, triple, home run, six RBIs, seven runs, five stolen bases, and two walks.
In Anderson’s first two games in a Georgia uniform after sitting out last year following his transfer from Furman, he is 4-for-7 with a triple and six runs scored. He has set the table for Shepherd and Bradley behind him.
“Any time you can put up runs early in the game, like the first inning today, it gives you momentum for the rest of the game,” said Anderson.
Bradley’s hot streak continued in the second when he brought home Anderson on an RBI single to right. The redshirt junior finished the day 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and an RBI single. Bradley is now 5-for-7 with six RBIs through the first two games.
Georgia added three more runs in the fourth inning, thanks to some clutch hitting and clever baserunning. After a Shepherd single scored Cole Tate to make it 5-0, Georgia executed a double steal that allowed Anderson to score on a passed ball in the same at-bat. Head coach Scott Stricklin said fans should expect to see more aggressive baserunning to come.
“We’re definitely going to be more aggressive,” said Stricklin. “I think we’ve got more guys that can run. We’re going to try and put some more pressure on defenses. That’s something as a staff that we’ve talked about. We might not be the most powerful lineup, but I think that we can produce some runs by putting some pressure on some people.”
Wilcox’s career day
Sophomore right-hander Cole Wilcox had himself a day shooing away the Spider hitters. He sat in the mid-90s with his fastball, reaching 97 on several occasions. Wilcox (5 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K) impressed in his season debut following a disappointing performance from Bulldogs’ ace Emerson Hancock last night.
Wilcox’s eight strikeouts are a new career high. He attributes a lot of today’s success to an increased level of comfort. “I feel like a completely different pitcher,” he said. “Last year, I felt like I was working on a lot of things. It wasn’t much pitch-making. This year it was all pitch-making. All about going out there and getting outs and grinding out innings. My heart beat today was a lot slower than it was this time last year. It feels a lot better to be out here now.”
Georgia’s bullpen off to good start
Following Wilcox’s exit, Georgia relied on its bullpen to keep the Spiders pinned down. Senior lefty Justin Glover was the first name to be called. Glover (2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) struggled a bit in the sixth, but settled down in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning.
Freshman Jonathan Cannon also made an appearance out of the pen for the Dawgs. Cannon, who impressed against Florida in the scrimmage last November, pitched two scoreless innings while giving up no hits and striking out two.
Today’s final three hitless innings, paired with Ryan Webb’s dominant performance last night, have Georgia’s bullpen off to a great start in 2020.
Looking ahead
Georgia wraps up the three-game series against Richmond tomorrow afternoon. Junior C.J. Smith will take the ball for the Bulldogs. Smith started nine games last year and pitched to the tune of a 4.30 ERA in 46 innings. The game is scheduled for 1 P.M
