Josh McAllister was the last Bulldog to leave the dugout Thursday night at Foley Field. Who could blame him?
After his two-run double in the bottom of the ninth scored the tying and go-ahead runs to beat 14th-ranked Florida, there certainly was plenty to savor.
“It’s just good to have my brother’s back, do my part, do my job, make it easier on my pitchers and get on base for my guys,” said McAllister, who jumped on the first pitch he saw from Gator sidearmer Blake Purnell and drilled it down the left field line and into the corner.
Connor Tate scored easily from second followed by Garrett Blaylock, who made it all the way from first for the winning run as the Bulldogs rushed onto the field.
“Once it got over his (third baseman Deric Fabian's) glove, I was please Connor, just get home, let’s go home,” McAllister said. “Just watching Connor Tate (and Blaylock) hit home … what a surreal moment.”
Cole Tate got the inning started for Georgia (20-6, 4-3) by drawing a one-out walk. After Corey Collins struck out, Connor Tate was hit by a Ryan Slater pitch to put runners at first and second.
Purnell took over from there.
Blaylock was not impressed. He singled on the first pitch he saw, slicing the ball to left scoring Cole Tate to cut the lead to 6-5.
McAllister wasn’t waiting around either, exploding on the first pitch he saw from Purnell, who threw just two pitches but wound up taking the loss.
“When Josh wakes up, he’s swinging. That’s what he does,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “He swings the bat. Everybody knows that. He’s really aggressive. The ball got left up and he’s going. He’s not taking many pitches. He got a good pitch to hit, and he did what you’re supposed to do with the ball up in the zone.”
Hitting Purnell (2-2) has been no easy challenge for opposing batters.
The right-hander entered play with a 0.77 ERA in 28.2 innings before McAllister’s game-winning hit.
“Coach (hitting coach Scott) Daeley talks to us all the time about when you’re facing a side-armer, keep that shoulder in, don’t fly open,” McAllister said. “When you’re facing a side-armer it's coming off at a weird angle. I didn’t pull off it that much, and I was able to sneak it down that line.”
Projected first-round pick Hunter Barco started for Florida but did not figure into the decision.
The left-hander came into the game 5-1, a miniscule 1.41 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 38.1 innings. Opponents came in hitting a mere .143.
Anderson greeted Barco rudely as the leadoff batter, lining a solo home to left-center and quick 1-0 lead.
The Bulldogs were not done.
Following a triple by Cole Tate, Collins bounced one through the right side of the infield to put the Bulldogs up 2-0.
Georgia had a chance for more, loading the bases with one out but failed to add after a strikeout by Chaney Rogers and a line out to left by Parks Harber.
Bulldog starter Garrett Brown struggled through three, giving up a pair of third inning runs on four hits with three walks before Georgia regained the lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Harber off Barco.
“We just wanted to dominate the outside part of the plate,” Stricklin said. “He throws a lot of fastballs away to left and right, so we just wanted to make sure we dominated the outside part of the plate.”
A solo homer by Rogers put the Bulldogs up 4-2 in the sixth but the Gators would answer.
Reliever Luke Wagner followed Brown with three innings of scoreless relief but could not get out of the fourth. Following a leadoff walk to Deric Fabian, nine-hole hitter Mac Guscette followed one batter later with a two-run homer to tie the game. The home run was the first of the year for Guscette, who came in the game hitting .179.
Reliever Jaden Woods (1-0) allowed a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to Judd Fabian that put Florida up 6-4 before the Bulldogs rallied in the bottom of the inning for the win.
NOTES
…Anderson’s first-inning homer extended his streak of reaching bases to 24 straight.
…Barco’s two home runs allowed Thursday equaled the two he gave up in 38.1 innings coming into play.
…Rogers’ home run in the sixth was his first of the year. Ironically, his prior home run came on May 16 of last season at Florida.
…Georgia and Florida resume their series Friday at 6. Jonathan Cannon (4-1, 1.96) gets the start for the Bulldogs.
