After Georgia’s pitching staff combined for 11 walks over its past two games, Saturday’s effort against North Florida was much more to Scott Stricklin’s liking.

As a result, the Bulldogs snapped their two-game losing streak by beating the Ospreys, 6-0.

Credit Ryan Webb, Darryn Pasqua, and Liam Sullivan for that.

The trio combined to scatter seven hits with 15 strikeouts. But more importantly, the three hurlers issued just one walk (by Webb), enabling Georgia to push its record to 8-3.

In just his second start since coming back from Covid, Webb was on a strict pitch count. When he reached his limit with runners at first and third with two out in the fourth, that was it for his game.

“The pitching was great. Ryan Webb was obviously on a pitch count; he got to 70 pitches, and it was the right matchup, too,” Stricklin said. “We had two righties sitting there, so we had Pasqua ready to go. So even though Ryan wanted to fight on the mound, he wanted to stay in—that’s why we love him, but that was the right call.”

Pasqua escaped the threat by striking out the only batter he faced in the fourth. He was then replaced by Sullivan in the sixth, after the Ospreys loaded the bases with nobody out.

The freshman left-hander was spectacular.

After escaping the threat with a strikeout and a foul pop to third, Sullivan allowed just one hit the rest of the way, notching four strikeouts, to earn his first collegiate save.

“Liam Sullivan was great,” Stricklin said. “He’s got a three-pitch mix and is a sneaky- good athlete. He can get off the mound and make some plays on bunts. But down the line, that’s a future starter. He’s been up to 94; he was 88-90, but that’s a very tough slot to hit from, being 6-foot-6 and coming downhill. I think he’s got starter written all over him.”

Webb’s effort was equally impressive.

After striking out the side in the first, the senior lefty finished his turn on the mound by allowing four hits and the one walk.

The Roswell native, who was given credit for the win, joked that he tried to talk Stricklin into letting him stay in.

“I felt like my pitch count was getting up there a little bit. Right after I got that flyout, I saw Coach (Sean) Kenny and Coach Stricklin kind of look at each other, and I was saying, 'Don’t come out of the dugout,'” Webb said. “He came out, told me my pitch count was 70. I said, 'Don’t make the call.' He said, 'I already did.'”

After scoring the game’s first run in the third inning on a fielder’s choice by Randon Jernigan, Georgia added two runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth.

The seventh-inning runs came home on a two-run double by Chaney Rogers, with freshman Kameron Guidry bringing home two of the three runs in the eighth on a two-out triple, which was his first career hit.

Garrett Blaylock, Luke Wagner, and Rogers led the Bulldogs with two hits each.

“It’s 3-0 going into the bottom of the eighth, and we were able to get the three runs,” Stricklin said. “Kam Guidry gets his first career hit, gets a triple, and drives in two runs. That was huge to be able to get that with two outs. “

Boxscore

Guidry’s start made him the fourth player to get the call at shortstop this year, after Cam Shepherd started the previous 198 games at the position prior to this year.

The freshman earned the spot after Buddy Floyd, who started Friday’s game, was unable to go after bruising his arm on a play at second.

Floyd was replacing Josh McAllister, who was resting a sore hamstring. McAllister, in turn, was replacing Cole Tate, who strained his hamstring during last week’s series against Gardner Webb.

“I made three different lineups today. Buddy Floyd was in the lineup when we got to the field, but his arm was really bruised from that collision at second base last night. His range of motion wasn’t good,” Stricklin said. “McAllister was in the training room at the same time, doing jumping jacks, saying, 'Coach, I’m great, I’m ready to go,' so we put McAllister in, and we have him in there. But all of a sudden, it stiffens up on him—so we made another change. So three different lineup cards today.”

According to Stricklin, the plan is to rest McAllister again Sunday.

As for Tate, he’s close to returning to the field.

“McAllister will probably say he’s great tomorrow, but I’m not playing him, no matter what he says,” Stricklin said. “Cole Tate is really close; he’s been moving around the last two days. We’ll probably wait one more game just to be sure.”

Georgia and North Florida play the rubber game of their series Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Freshman Jaden Woods (9-0, 5.19) will make his third start for the Bulldogs.