Georgia’s stay in Hoover was a short one as the Bulldogs fell to Alabama in the opening round of the SEC Tournament Tuesday, 5-3.
It’s been a tough month for the Bulldogs.
Since winning two of three from Alabama in Tuscaloosa back in late April, the month of May has been anything but kind to the Bulldogs.
Georgia dropped its last four SEC series, and although the Bulldogs (35-21) were never swept in any series, the poor finish eliminated head coach Scott Stricklin’s squad of any chance it had of hosting one of the NCAA’s 16 regionals.
At least Georgia knows its season is not yet complete.
Thanks to finishing 15-15 in conference play, an RPI of No. 12 and a strength of schedule that has the Bulldogs No. 2, the Bulldogs appear assured of their third trip to the NCAA’s in five years when the 64 teams are announced on Monday.
However, players like infielder Parks Harber knows the team has to start playing much better if they hope to make it past that.
“You know, I think the win on Saturday (against Missouri) was big for us. It was a big win. We showed a lot of character and a lot of fight. We hoped to carry that momentum into today, and unfortunately, we just didn't have it today,” said Harber, who gave Georgia its first run with a home run in the second. “Lucky enough for us, I think we've put ourselves in a good enough position to keep playing baseball. Our No. 1 goal at the end of the year is to make a regional. So, I think we've put ourselves in a good position for that and just got to work hard this next week and a half to get ready to go.”
The Bulldogs could not overcome a slow start that saw Alabama score three times in the first and twice in the second. Jaden Woods and Jack Gowen would shut out the Crimson Tide over the final seven innings, but Georgia’s bats were unable to make up the difference.
“I thought the game was won and lost in the first two innings. We get off to a slow start and. that's what I said to the team in right field before we started was ‘it's 9:30 in the morning, who's going to start, who's going to come out of the gate ready to play,’ and next thing you know it's 5-0 really quick,” Stricklin said. “After then that I thought Jaden Woods did a great job of settling the game down, gave us a chance.”
Unfortunately, Alabama’s bullpen was more than up to the task.
Following a nearly three-hour rain delay, freshman right hander Ben Hess came on and shut the Bulldogs down, striking out 10 of the 14 batters he faced.
Connor Tate would reach Brock Guffey for a two-run homer in the eighth to bring Georgia within two runs, but the Bulldogs would get no closer.
“As poorly as I felt like we were playing, we're still in the baseball game. And I thought Ben Hess for them did a great job of kind of shutting us down. Really, really good stuff. I thought Guffey was really good, and obviously Dylan Ray, bullpen is very, very accomplished,” Stricklin said. “Bottom line we got beat. We got outplayed. It's disappointing, but I know we've got more to play for, and we're going to rest up, get healthy and get ready for next week.”
Stricklin refused to lay the blame on the loss for the 9:30 a.m. start time.
“Well, we all faced the same challenge. Alabama had the same wake-up call that we did. They ate breakfast the same time we did. Bottom line is it's just the mentality of get yourself ready to go,” he said. “If we get a ball that's hit at somebody, say "if" all you want, but bottom line, they outplayed us in the first two innings, and that was a huge key to this game.”
Luke Wagner made his second start since separating his right shoulder almost a month ago. He never made it out of the second, allowing all five runs.
But Georgia’s bullpen would at least give the team a chance.
After a scoreless 1.2 innings by Chandler Marsh, Woods tossed four innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts, before Gowen finished off the game with two scoreless innings.
“I thought some of the best stuff that he's had all year long, the breaking ball, he was throwing it more consistently for a strike, and that's the key for Jaden,” Stricklin said of Woods. “The fastball is so explosive, but everybody knows he's going to throw a lot of fastballs. So, when he can throw that breaking ball for a strike, it can keep people off that fastball a little bit. He threw a couple good changeups. We all know how talented he is, and we've seen flashes of greatness last year. He certainly was really, really good as a freshman All-American. And that was the best I've seen him throw. Hopefully, that can carry over and he can keep going.”
