It's only seven games into the season. Yet already, Georgia skipper Scott Stricklin is seeing some positive signs concerning his young team.
Saturday’s doubleheader sweep of Gardner-Webb is very definitely one of those signs.
The Bulldogs captured Game One 3-2, on Josh McAllister’s two-out homer in the ninth. Then, four pitchers scattered eight hits, to capture Game 2, 5-1.
“We’re certainly young on the mound, but they’re growing up,” Stricklin said. “Seeing Ryan Webb back out there today was what I think we were all hoping to see: 92-93 mph and all strikes. We're learning as we're going, but I think what we're seeing is, we've got some depth on the mound with those young pitchers. and they're growing up pretty quick.
Webb made his season debut in Game 2, following his recovery from Covid, and accounted well for himself.
The senior lefty allowed just one hit with four strikeouts before being replaced by freshman Luke Wagner (2-0) to start the fourth, due a pitch count of 40.
“I’ve been committed to Georgia for a while, and ever since then, I’ve been watching Georgia games. (Webb) has been front and center, winning games, getting saves,” Wagner said. “It’s just cool being on his team, seeing what he can do, and why he's so good.” Wagner was not bad himself.
The young lefty, who tossed a pair of scoreless innings to start his turn, ran into trouble in the sixth when back-to-back singles put runners on first and third with one out.
But the damage was done.
After a pop-up to short, Wagner struck out Dom Peroni before Darryn Pasqua struck out Joe Brazil, looking to end the game, to the bottom of the sixth.
He became the pitcher of record when the Bulldogs finally scratched across a run in the fifth on an RBI single by Randon Jernigan, before Cole Tate’s first home run of the year pushed the lead to 2-0 in the sixth.
In the seventh, Pasqua loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch, but was bailed out when freshman lefty Collin Caldwell struck out Joe Simone to end the inning.
Georgia had a chance to break it open late, but managed just two in the seventh and one in the eighth before Gardner-Webb (1-4) scratched across a run in the ninth.
In Game One, the Bulldogs found themselves matched up against Gardner-Webb right-hander Mason Miller, projected to go somewhere in the first three rounds of the upcoming Major League Draft.
The right-hander held Georgia scoreless until the Bulldogs scratched across a run in the sixth on an RBI double from Collins, to drive home Cole Tate.
Georgia took a 2-1 lead an inning later on a double by Wagner, before Gardner-Webb tied the game in the ninth with a run against freshman Will Pearson.
After Jack Gowen (1-0) came on to get the final two outs, the Bulldogs took their turn in the inning’s bottom half, and after two quick outs, McAllister won the game with his first career homer, a shot over the wall in left.
“It was awesome. Just one word: awesome,” McAllister said. “It’s just about timing and getting the right swing on the ball. I know I'm not the biggest guy, but look at Jose Altuve, that guy hits moonshots, too. It’s just all about getting good swings on balls, and it’s all about timing.”
Starting pitcher CJ Smith made sure McAllister would have his chance by scattering five hits over seven innings, walking just one with six strikeouts.
Next up
Georgia and Gardner-Webb wrap up their series Sunday at 1 p.m. Freshman Jaden Woods (0-0, 5.79) makes his second start for the Bulldogs.
