Call it a hangover after blowing a ninth-inning lead in Game 1, or whatever you choose.
What looked to be a promising start to a season-opening SEC series against South Carolina turned into a disaster, as Georgia was swept by the Gamecocks, who scored two in the ninth to take Game 1, 5-4, before routing the Bulldogs in the night-cap, 12-2. Game 2 was called due to the 10-run rule after seven.
“You’d like to say not, but that was a gut punch for sure,” junior Parks Harber said. “I thought we played a very good first game. Both teams probably deserved to win that one. It was our job to flip the switch in Game 2, but obviously couldn’t get it going.”
Head coach Scott Stricklin could not have agreed more.
“We obviously had a great chance to win that game and felt pretty good about it, and all of a sudden it gets taken away from you,” Stricklin said. “It's a gut punch, no question about it. It happens in baseball, but you’ve got to recover and bounce back. We didn’t do a very good job in Game 2.
Harber was the lone bright spot for the Bulldogs (13-6, 0-2). The junior homered in both games, the second one coming in the second inning of Game 2 for a 1-0 lead, only to see the Gamecocks roar back against Liam Sullivan (3-1) and an out-manned bullpen.
South Carolina (19-1, 2-0) scored four runs in the third, one in the fourth, and seven in the fifth to put the game away.
“(Sunday), we’ve got to turn the page and play it like it’s our last game,” Stricklin said. “We’ve got to do everything we can to try and salvage the series.”
In Game 1, starting pitcher Jaden Woods deserved a better fate after the Gamecocks struck for two ninth-inning runs to take the lead.
Woods allowed just three runs on seven hits in a career-high seven innings with just one walk and 11 strikeouts.
South Carolina reached Woods for a 2-0 lead before Corey Collins cut the lead in half in the bottom of the second with a home run off the scoreboard in right.
The Gamecocks tacked on a third run in the fourth on a one-out home run by Ethan Petry, the second of the day for the Gamecocks after Cole Mussina’s home run in the second.
Harber would tie the game in the sixth on a two-run home run before a sacrifice fly by Mason LaPlante put the Bulldogs ahead for the first time.
Matthew Hoskins would come in and escape a first-and-second, one-out jam in the eighth before running into trouble in the ninth.
A hit-batter and a sacrifice bunt moved pinch-runner Will Tippett to second followed by a walk to Will McGillis that put runners at first and second. That brought up pinch-hitter Michael Braswell, with only eight at-bats all year.
No matter. Braswell lined a two-strike pitch down the line in right for go-head runs.
Georgia tried to rally in the bottom of the inning, but LaPlante could not get a bunt down after Sebastian Murillo led off with a double. A groundout by Ben Anderson moved Murrillo to third before Connor Tate grounded out to second ending the game.
“We had some opportunities. We had a runner at third and less than two outs and couldn’t get him in. Little things like that in close games come back to haunt you,” Stricklin said. “They did in that one.”
The Bulldogs and Gamecocks wrap up their series Sunday at 3. Freshman Kolten Smith (1-0, 5.19) will start for the Bulldogs.
“There’s no reason to let these last two games affect (Sunday), Harber said. “You get 30 (SEC games), there’s three in a weekend, and all 30 mean the same. But getting a win (Sunday) is huge for us going forward.”
