Georgia’s remarkable run under first-year head coach Wes Johnson fell one win short of the College World Series, as North Carolina State defeated the Bulldogs 8-5 Monday night.
With the win, the Wolfpack (38-21) advances to this week’s CWS in Omaha, Nebraska. Georgia ends its season at 43-17 in a year where the Bulldogs were picked to finish sixth in the SEC East.
"You’ve just got a bunch of guys who got together and started believing in themselves and believing in each other. You do that, and as I’ve said for years, there’s talent in this league," Johnson said. "If you can get the right group together and get them to believe in themselves, play with confidence, and go out there and take the training we put them through daily, you have a chance. But yeah, what this group of men did was obviously something I’ll never forget."
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, this would be the end of the road as Georgia’s pitchers could not contain the bats of North Carolina State, which outhit Georgia 15-7.
Much of the damage came from the top three in the Wolfpack order.
Eli Serrano, Garrett Pennington, and Alec Makarweicz went a combined 7-for-14 with each player hitting a home run.
A solo home run by Charlie Condon in his final at-bat at Foley Field capped the scoring for the Bulldogs, who used a walk by Slate Alford to give the Bulldogs a smidgen of life before a pop-up by Dylan Goldstein, and fly out to center by Tre Phelps ended the game.
Condon, potentially the No. 1 pick in the July Major League Draft, appeared to fight back tears in Georgia's post-game press conference.
"It’s a melting pot of emotions right now. I’m proud of this group and proud of what we were able to accomplish. I’m really thankful to have been a part of it," said Condon, whose home run was the 37th of the year.
"It’s been a long ride since I got here," Condon said. "I’m just incredibly thankful for this University and this program, my coaches and teammates, everyone who put their time and resources into my development and promoting me the best they could. I wouldn’t be close to who I am without that."
To Condon's right at the table sat Phelps, whose second-inning homer was his 12th of the year to cap what was a tremendous freshman campaign.
But the lead would not last for long.
North Carolina State tied the game in the third on a two-run homer by Garrett Pennington off starter Zach Harris, before adding two more in the fourth, one off Harris and another off Kolten Smith.
It’s not like the Bulldogs did not have their chances.
With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, Georgia loaded the bases with just one out and Condon at the plate.
However, Condon struck out before Slate Alford grounded out to second on a 3-2 count to end the inning.
North Carolina extended the lead to 5-2 in the sixth on a solo home run by Eli Serrano, only to be answered by Georgia with a single run in the inning’s bottom half.
It was almost a lot more.
A walk to Corey Collins and a hit-by-pitch of Condon put runners at first and second to start the seventh for the Bulldogs with nobody out.
That brought Alford to the plate. On the first pitch he saw from reliever Derrick Smith and sent it rocketing toward center. For a moment, it appeared the game was about to be tied. That is, Serrano lept and caught the ball at the top of the wall for the first out.
"Slate Alford’s ball, we’re talking, what, I haven’t looked at the video, I’m just looking off my eyes in the game, another foot and we might still be playing," Johnson said. "But that’s the game of baseball. Like I say, you tip your hat to North Carolina State and wish them the best.”
Georgia would add a run on an RBI groundout by Dylan Goldstein, but would get no closer as a two-run homer by Alec Makarewicz in the eighth pushed the lead to 8-4.
Condon's 37th home run in the ninth momentarily energized the crowd of 3,944. But after a walk to Alford, the Bulldogs were unable to bring the tying run to the plate
