One advantage of having a more experienced team is those squads don’t typically panic if games don’t go well early on.

Friday’s game against Georgia Southern was a good example as Georgia bounced back from a 7-2 deficit in a big way, ultimately rolling to a 22-9 victory, setting a school record for most runs in a season-opener.

“Last year’s team was virtually the same but a whole lot different when you look at the experience level,” Bulldog skipper Scott Stricklin said. “There’s a huge difference between being a freshman and being a sophomore, being a sophomore and being a junior. The kids have grown up.”

How much so?

Designated hitter Michael Curry says a lot.

“Last year, down five in the third, fourth or fifth inning, we fold, we’re done,” Curry said. “But this year, there’s something different going on in the dugout. We were calm the whole time. Losing was never in our mind. I felt it, we all felt it.”

Cam Shepherd and Curry were certainly feeling it at the plate

Curry went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and five RBI while Shepherd went 4-for-4 for the first time in his career with three runs scored and three RBI.

Tucker Maxwell added three of the Bulldogs’ 19 hits and drove in two for Georgia which marked the ninth time in school history its scored 17 or more runs in the season-opener.

“This just gives everyone confidence, those first-game jitters are now out of the way,” Shepherd said. “(Saturday), the confidence is going to carry over and we’re going to get some more runs.”

Starting pitcher Kevin Smith - who allowed three earned runs in 4.1 innings with five strikeouts - opened well enough for the Bulldogs, shutting out the Eagles for the first two innings before Georgia Southern struck for four two-out runs in the fourth.

A two-run single by Tyler Martin got the Eagles going before Mason McWhorter followed with a two-run homer deep into the trees in right.

Georgia answered with two runs in the inning’s bottom half but back came the Eagles, chasing Smith with three more in the fifth, with Martin accounting for two with a double to right-center.

But back came the Dawgs.

Georgia roared back with six runs in the fifth, two coming on a double by Shepherd and two more on a bloop by Maxwell. The other runs scored on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk to Mason Meadows.

There would be plenty more where that came from.

Georgia scored three more times in the seventh and added six in the eighth, a run of 15 straight before a two-run homer by Eagle pinch-hitter Noah Searcy ended the Bulldog string.

Sophomore Tony Locey (1-0) was credited with the win after hurling two innings of one-hit relief with two strikeouts.

“We’ve told our kids that we’re going to win games in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings because our bullpen is really good, and I think our lineup is really good,” Stricklin said. “That’s the message we gave them (Thursday) and before the game today, no matter what happens, in the late innings we feel we’re going to win because of our bullpen and our lineup depth.”

Shortstop Cam Shepherd – a member of the Baseball America Freshman All-America Team – picked up where he left off, going 4 for 4 with three runs scored and four RBI. Michael Curry had three hits, including a grand slam and five RBI while Tucker Maxwell had three hits and drove in two.

In the second inning, catcher Mason Meadows showed how he won the starting catching job when he threw out Chandler Corley attempting to steal second. If Meadows can keep that up it’s going to bode well for the Bulldogs and giving opposing runners something to think about after Georgia catchers only threw out 15 all of last year.

Chaney Rogers blooped a single to left-center field for his first career hit. Later, fellow freshmen Connor Tate and Ivan Johnson got into the act, singling in their first career at-bat and picking up their first-ever RBI. Freshman C.J. Smith also came through with his first collegiate hit.

Georgia and Georgia Southern resume their series at 1 p.m. Saturday. Freshman Emerson Hancock will make his debut for the Bulldogs against Seth Shuman (8-0, 3.34 in 2017). The Bulldogs and Eagles wrap up their series Sunday at 1.