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Diamond Dawgs win season-opener 4-2 over Albany

Palmber-Thombsby: Palmer Thombs02/19/22palmerthombs

Georgia Baseball won its first game of the season on Opening Day Friday at Foley Field, defeating the Albany Great Danes 4-2.

Starting pitcher Jonathan Cannon picked up his first win of the season, throwing 6.0 scoreless innings while only allowing two hits. He struck out four before turning the ball over to Jaden Woods out of the bullpen. Woods and Jack Gowen wrapped things up in the final three innings with Gowen getting the save. Woods allowed two runs on two hits, both being scored on a home run to left, while Gowen only faved four batters with his only base running coming by way of a hit batsman. All three Georgia pitchers hit at least one batter with Cannon hitting two, but the nine strikeouts to just one walk certainly stands out.

“Jonathan was really good and that’s what we need on a Friday night,” Georgia coach Scott Stricklin said. “Albany was aggressive and swung early. We played good defense behind our pitchers and turned three double plays. I would’ve liked to see us do more offensively but (Ray) Weber was good for them. Bottom line, we got the win.”

Meanwhile, at the plate, Georgia got the majority of its scoring done by way of the long ball. Ben Anderson led off the game with a home run to put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0. Josh McAllister would follow with a two-run home run in the fourth to make it 3-0. Then, in the seventh, Florida transfer Cory Acton brought home Fernando Gonzalez with a single to center field to make it 4-0, all of Georgia’s scoring in the 4-2 win. Acton recorded two hits on the day while Anderson, Parks Harber, Corey Collins, Cole Tate, McAllister and Gonzalez each had one.

Substitutions that Georgia made, which are always interesting to keep an eye on early in the season, included Dwight Allen pinch hitting for Harber before playing right field. At that point, Chaney Rogers moved from right, where hen started, to first base, where Harber has been playing. Buddy Floyd also entered at third base for the Bulldogs in place of McAllister who left the game late with an injury. Initial reports of McAllister’s injury indicated that it was just cramps and nothing more serious.

Georgia is back in action later today (Saturday) for Game Two of the three-game series against Albany at 3:00 p.m. ET. Sophomore lefty Liam Sullivan is the expected starter for the Bulldogs. That game, as well as the series finale on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET, can be streamed on SEC Network+.

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