Fans waiting for Cole Wilcox to make an impact on Georgia’s starting rotation got just what they’ve been waiting on during the second game of Sunday’s double-header against Florida.

The freshman was impressive, tossing a seven-inning complete game with one walk and seven strikeouts, pitching the Bulldogs to a 4-1 win and a sweep, after rolling to a 9-1 win earlier in the afternoon.

“I was just trying to compete and give everything I had,” said Wilcox, who finished in a flourish by striking out the last two batters of the game.

Every pitch for Wilcox (2-0) was working.

From a fastball that topped out at 98 mph, to his slider and occasional change, every pitch in Wilcox’s arsenal was on point, and that spelled bad news for the Gators.

“If you can’t locate your fastball, you’re not going to have a chance,” Wilcox said. “The ability to command is obviously going to carry you.”

Wilcox’s effort also helped Georgia make a little history.

The Bulldogs had not swept Florida (28-21, 9-15) in a three-game series since turning the trick in Gainesville back in 2006. The 1983 season was the last time Georgia did so at Foley Field.

“Florida has been so good. The last decade, Florida has been the best team in college baseball, but they’re young. They’re playing four and five freshmen--where we were two years ago,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “But you know what? It’s great for us to come here and play in front of our home crowd. To back up what we did last weekend (getting swept at Mississippi State) and bounce back like we did says a lot about us.”

Want more good news?

The Bulldogs (37-12, 16-8) are about to get a lot healthier.

According to Stricklin, both star pitcher Emerson Hancock and third baseman Aaron Schunk will be back for next weekend’s series at Auburn, along with--he hopes--center fielder Tucker Maxwell, who left in the third inning of Game 1 with a minor hamstring strain.

“That’s going to be big-time momentum,” Stricklin said. “You could hear the groan from the dugout and the crowd when Tucker Maxwell went down. It wa,s ‘Oh no, not another guy,’ but we keep plugging guys in, and guys keep doing their jobs.”

Offensively, the Bulldogs managed just two hits in their Game 2 win, but Riley King came up big with the second of his two home runs on the day. Chaney Rogers also had an RBI single in the contest, while Cole Tate executed a perfect suicide squeeze to bring home Rogers in the sixth to account for the final 4-1 score.

Both games in Sunday's doubleheader were played after Saturday's contest was postponed due to lightning were seven-inning affairs.

There wasn’t a lot of drama to Georgia’s 9-1 win in Game 1.

Shortstop Cam Shepherd was the big story, going 2 for 3 with a pair of homers, his third and fourth of the year and third this week.

He wasn’t the only Bulldog to go deep. King added a solo blast of his own for one of his two RBI, with LJ Talley also driving in a pair of runs.

“It hasn’t been going my way a lot this year, but that’s baseball sometimes,” Shepherd said. “But it looks like it might finally be turning my way, so I’ll try to keep riding it out.”

Cole Tate and Mason Meadows also drove home one run each for the Bulldogs, which outhit Florida 9-3.

Starting pitcher Tim Elliott (6-3) did not need a lot of support.

The junior went five innings, allowing just the one run on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts before Ryan Webb closed out the seven-inning affair by tossing a scoreless sixth and seventh.

Boxscores

The Bulldogs suffered another injury to yet another key player when center fielder Tucker Maxwell had to come out of the game when he aggravated a hamstring injury while sliding into third on King’s RBI double for Georgia’s first run.

Maxwell, who has been nursing a minor hamstring ailment, was able to walk off the field under his own power before heading to the locker room for treatment. He did not play in Sunday’s Game 2.

Fortunately, it doesn’t appear that the junior will be out for long.

“It’s a minor strain to the hamstring and it looked a little worse than it was,” Stricklin said. “He’s really conscientious about those hamstrings, he’s wound really tight, he’s a guy that doesn’t have a lot of body fat. His hamstrings have given him problems in the past, but I think it scared him more than anything. He said when he came out that ‘I’m playing Friday, I already said it’ so we feel pretty good that he will be back next week.”

Following a mid-week game Wednesday at Jacksonville State, Georgia travels to Auburn for three starting Friday night.

Assuming Maxwell is able to return, he’ll have some company.

According to Stricklin, both pitcher Emerson Hancock (right lat) and third baseman/closer Aaron Schunk (Achilles/heel) are also slated to return.

“Emerson threw on Friday and threw great in a simulated, controlled game and threw 97-98,” Stricklin said. “He’s ready to go and chomping at the bit so he’ll be back we feel like and Aaron Schunk will be play next week.”

Stricklin said Schunk – who has missed the last six games – could have played Sunday, although he would not have been 100 percent.

The news is a bit worse regarding pitcher/outfielder C.J. Smith who continues to be bothered by a lower back issue that could keep him out until the SEC Tournament or NCAA Regionals.

…With the sweep, Georgia improved to 25-3 at Foley Field this year.

…Georgia returns to action Wednesday with a road game at Jacksonville State. The Bulldogs then travel to Auburn for their last SEC road series of the year before hosting Alabama in the final regular season home series starting May 16.