For a team in need of momentum heading into the final week of the regular season, Saturday’s 8-3 victory at Tennessee could not have come at a better time.
"We needed it. We didn't play well (Friday). You're 0-2 against the No. 1 team in the country, and you start looking around, and all of a sudden you see there are people creeping up on us," head coach Scott Stricklin told UGASports. "We needed to get that win to keep some positive momentum."
Saturday’s win was huge for other reasons, too.
One, it enabled to the Bulldogs (33-18, 14-13) to avoid getting swept for the first time this year. Two, it bumped Georgia's RPI to No. 4. Three, beating the Volunteers kept Georgia’s hopes of hosting one of the 16 NCAA Regionals alive.
There’s still work to do.
The Bulldogs need to win the week, starting with Presbyterian on Tuesday and the final SEC series against Missouri, which gets underway Thursday.
A win or two at the upcoming SEC Tournament would not hurt, either. Stricklin said it’s in his team’s collective hands whether or not a hosting opportunity comes to fruition.
Saturday's win came after some heart-to-heart conversations between Stricklin and his team Friday and again before Saturday's finale.
"I just wasn't very happy with the way we played (Friday). I didn't think we competed well enough. We had some opportunities, and we just let it slip away. We got out-competed yesterday, and that's what I was upset with," Stricklin said. "I was pretty abrasive with them yesterday and again today. All through batting practice and pregame, I was tough on them. But they responded. So, credit to them, they took it the right way, and I think we played with a chip on our shoulder."
Saturday’s win featured several clutch performances.
Twins Cole and Connor Tate doubled up on the Vols in the seventh, driving in four of Georgia’s five runs to break a 3-3 tie.
After a safety squeeze by leadoff hitter Ben Anderson scored Corey Collins for the go-ahead run. Cole Tate followed up a wild pitch by singling to left, driving in Josh McAllister and Buddy Floyd for a 6-3 lead.
The next batter was Connor Tate, who did his brother one better with a long home run to left field for an 8-3 advantage in what turned out to be the final score.
Chaney Rogers and Fernando Gonzalez proved they were not afraid to face Tennessee’s 105 mph-throwing right-hander Ben Joyce.
Joyce proved a handful the first three innings until Connor Tate reached him for a single in the fourth. Two batters later, a long home run by Rogers over the fence in right tied the game at 2. Gonzalez followed with a high fly ball that carried over the fence in left for a 3-2 lead.
"Joyce was throwing 100 mph, and was tough to hit," Stricklin said. "Connor Tate breaks up the no-hitter, and Chaney got all of it. That's as far as I've seen him hit a ball, and then Fernando backed it right up, probably making them go to their bullpen an inning before they wanted to."
Give Jaden Woods some major props for giving his teammates’ bats a chance to win the game.
In the bottom of the fourth, it appeared the Vols (45-7, 22-5) were about to answer Georgia’s runs in a major way, loading the bases with the first batters walking against starter Liam Sullivan.
Woods walked Evan Russell to load the bases but rebounded to strike out Christian Moore and Luc Lipcius with the score still 3-2.
The sophomore lefty could not quite escape the inning by walking Lawson to bring home the tying run but would answer with a strikeout of Courtland Lawson to keep the score 3-3.
"I think his job really gave us some momentum," Stricklin said. "He did a nice job and it was good to see him have some success to hold that lineup down a little bit."
Jack Gowen (2-0) would do the rest.
Stricklin did not hesitate to bring in Gowen in the sixth with one out after Woods walked the first two batters before striking out the third batter.
Gowen struck out both batters he faced to escape the inning, but that was just the beginning.
The Folkston senior retired all 11 batters he faced, closing out the game with a perfect ninth to get credit for his second win.
"That may be the best outing of his career," Stricklin said.
Georgia returns to action Tuesday against Presbyterian.
