Corey Collins tied a school record with three home runs Tuesday, while Clayton Chadwick set one by hitting two home runs in the same inning to lead Georgia to an 18-6 win over Wofford at Foley Field.
“That was nice to see our guys deal with a touch of adversity,” said head coach Wes Johnson. “When we weren’t throwing as many strikes on the mound as we should have, and for our offense to come back and answer. We had some really good at-bats. Clayton Chadwick hit those two homers in the last inning as he took some good swings. He is one of those guys that works extremely hard in our program. Corey had a huge day, too. We’re really excited for those guys.”
The Bulldogs (18-4) hit a season-high seven home runs to bring their NCAA-leading total to 63 on the year. Georgia snapped a three-game losing streak as the contest ended in the eighth inning due to the 10-run rule. The Terriers (13-5) came into the game leading the nation in scoring at 11.9 runs a game and second nationally in batting with a .359 average.
However, it was the Bulldogs who scored double-digit runs while collecting 14 hits, including nine that went for extra bases.
Collins (4-for-5, 3 HR, 8 RBI) gave Georgia a 1-0 lead in the first with a leadoff home run. It was his fifth home run of the season and 30th of his career. It marked Georgia’s first leadoff blast since Ben Anderson against Tennessee last season.
The Bulldogs struck for five runs in the second as Collins added a three-run blast while sophomore Charlie Condon (2-for-5, 3 RBI) smashed his NCAA-leading 14th home run. Graduate Dylan Goldstein added a solo home run in the third, and Collins smacked another three-run shot in the fourth to make it 10-0.
The Terriers struck for three runs in the fifth as Andrew Mannelly, Brice Martinez, and Daniel Jackson provided two-out RBIs. Wofford closed the gap to 10-6 by the eighth, scoring a run in the sixth, seventh, and eighth frames. Georgia responded by tallying eight runs in the eighth to end the contest. Chadwick ignited the scoring with a solo home run, Collins collected his eighth RBI with a run-scoring single, and then Condon crushed a two-run double. Tre Phelps delivered a sacrifice fly and Chadwick capped the outburst with a game-ending three-run home run.
Senior Zach DeVito, making his first career start on a staff night, picked up the win to move to 2-0 on the year. Terrier freshman Alec Bouchard fell to 0-2, allowing six runs on five hits in two innings.
Georgia continues a five-game stretch at Foley Field on Friday with its SEC home opener against ninth-ranked Alabama. First pitch will be at 6:02 p.m., and the game will be available on SECN+ and the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
