In close games, mistakes are quite often magnified. The results, unfortunately, are not always in one’s favor.

That's a lesson Georgia learned in Friday’s season opener, as Bulldog mistakes led to Evansville coming away with 3-2 win.

Of the Purple Aces’ two runs, one was unearned, while what ultimately turned into the game winner scored on back-to-back wild pitches by reliever Darryn Pasqua.

“In a close game, those types of things are going to come back to bite you, and they did today,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “We had our opportunities, but didn’t take advantage of them. You have to credit Evansville. They fought hard, but we didn’t do enough to win.”

Offensively, freshman Corey Collins enjoyed a promising debut, going 3-for-4 with his first career home run. But otherwise, the Bulldogs managed just four hits against a trio of Evansville hurlers, including starter Shane Gray, who allowed just one run on four hits with no walks and four strikeouts in six innings.

It might have been more, but in the fourth, leadoff hitter Cole Tate was picked off after a leadoff error, one inning after Collins was thrown out at third for the final out to help keep the Bulldogs off the board.

Another would-be scoring threat was snuffed when catcher Fernando Gonzalez grounded into an inning-inning double-play with runners at first and second.

Tate would make up for the miscue when he singled in a run to cut the lead to 3-2, putting runners on first and second—only to have the inning end on a fielder’s choice by Garrett Blaylock and a fly to right by Riley King.

Collins’ home run over the right-center field wall cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth.

“After that first pitch, I felt at home,” Collins said. “I’ve been playing here long enough since the fall, I felt comfortable in the box. He went 3-1 on me, and I always remember my dad telling me not to miss. I didn’t miss that.”

Starter C.J. Smith (0-1) cruised through the first two innings before he started missing his pitches in the third.

The junior would get the first two batters of the inning out easily enough, but following a single and a stolen base, an RBI put Evansville on the board. Following back-to-back walks, an error by Blaylock on a short hop made the score 2-0.

“He (the home plate umpire) had a tight strike zone, but ultimately it just comes down to me throwing more strikes,” said Smith, who only made it through four innings before coming out of the game.

With the exception of Pasqua’s wild pitches, Bulldog pitchers were impressive.

Smith, Ben Harris, Pasqua, and Jack Gowen combined to strike out 14 Evansville batters. Gowan was the most impressive, retiring all five batters he faced with three strikeouts.

“I’m really happy for Jack. He’s a third-year player that came here with some expectations to be a lockdown guy out of the pen,” Stricklin said. "He struggled his first two years, which isn’t unusual, but he’s a really hard worker, he’s a great kid, and he deserves that. So, I’m really happy for him.”

Boxscore

…Stricklin said shortstop Cole Tate will be OK after suffering some calf cramps in the eighth inning.

“He was just a little dehydrated,” Stricklin said. “We’ve got to get the fluids back in him and really monitor him tomorrow.

…Freshmen Luke Wagner and Jaden Woods will get the starts for the Bulldogs in Saturday’s double-header, which gets underway at noon.