Georgia misses on opportunity for road series win on second straight Sunday

Georgia Baseball came out on the wrong end of things Sunday, costing the Bulldogs a series for the second straight Sunday on the road. While they started the week off strong with a decisive midweek win over in-state opponent Georgia State and tied their series against Mississippi State with a drama-filled Saturday night victory, seven walks and three errors ultimately cost UGA in a one-run rubber-game loss.

How It Happened…

Georgia won its midweek game at home convincingly over Georgia State, beating the Panthers 10-1. With nine pitchers seeing action for an inning apiece and three RBI and a home run each for Tre Phelps and Kolby Branch, the Bulldogs did their damage in bunches. Meanwhile, after a first-inning that saw Georgia State pick up a pair of hits and an early run, the Georgia pitchers allowed just one more base runner the entirety of the game.

“We put a lot of work in with the staff, and our goal every day we have to get better,” Georgia head coach Wes Johnson said. “We’re learning how to attack the strike zone, but attack it with quality pitches. Anytime you can go through and not walk anybody is good. We gave up two hits in the first and then the next one was in the seventh. The pitching staff did a great job tonight. Also, the bottom of the lineup came through when the top half of the order took some walks. Tre and Kolby had big homers and Fernando came through with a big hit too.”

The weekend at Mississippi State saw a trio of closely contested games. Through seven on Friday night, Georgia trailed by just one. However, a four-run eighth inning for the home team propelled them to a 6-1 win in which UGA recorded just five hits and left seven men on base. Then, on Saturday, things were tied at two heading into the ninth when Clayton Chadwick hit a solo home run down the right field line to put his Bulldogs ahead on their way to the 3-2 victory.

That wasn’t all for the drama though. To end the top half of the eighth, Georgia outfielder Dillon Carter was thrown out at home plate. An excessive celebration gone too far by Mississippi State catcher Johnny Long pushed things over the edge as he got physical with Carter and drove his knee into the Bulldog base runner trying to get back to his dugout. Players on benches from both sides came onto the field with several ending up as ejected after a 40-minute stoppage in play.

“I don’t know where to start on this one tonight as it’s the craziest game I’ve been a part of as well,” Johnson said after the conclusion of Saturday’s contest. “I talk a lot about believing in yourself and enjoying hard things, and how hard things can make you better, not just in the game of baseball but in life. Clayton Chadwick is one of our best outfielders. He happens to misplay a ball tonight, it happens. He was resilient. I told him, you’re going make a play that’s going to win us this ball game. I didn’t realize it was going to be a homer, but it was and we were very resilient. It was a total team win.”

Come Sunday, the SEC shared its final verdict that five participants in the altercation were suspended. Long, as well as Logan Kohler, were forced to sit things on in the rubber game while Georgia would be without Henry Hunter and Daniel Padysak. Catcher Fernando Gonzalez also received a suspension, however, his will be served on Tuesday against Kennesaw State to allow UGA to have enough men behind the plate with he and Hunter acting as the team’s primary two catchers on the season.

Georgia jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Sunday thanks to an RBI single from Slate Alford, who played the last two seasons at Mississippi State, and a grand slam by Kolby Branch, both in the third inning. Mississippi State responded with four however in the bottom half, capitalizing on two miscues from Georgia’s outfield to score three unearned on pitchers Christian Mracna and Kolten Smith.

A Mississippi State solo home run in the fifth tied things before Georgia responded in the sixth with one run of its own to regain the lead. Corey Collins singled to center with two outs and scored Sebastian Murillo, who reached earlier in the inning on an error.

Mississippi State would tie things again as Joe Powell, playing behind the plate in place of the suspended Long, doubled down the third base line to score Nate Chester. Then, the home Dawgs would take their first lead later in the inning as Dakota Jordan brought Powell home, making it 7-6 Mississippi State in the sixth.

The seventh inning brought about another lead change, this time as Georgia scored two on a Chadwick double center. That brought home Phelps and Branch and gave the Bulldogs an 8-7 lead. Georgia wasn’t able to get any more home in the inning, and it would cost them later on. Mississippi State scored two in the bottom of the eighth, again making the most of a Georgia error that could’ve ended the inning with a double play to instead take the lead on their way to securing the win and the series.

Georgia has an eight-game home-stand that starts on Tuesday against Kennesaw State. Then it’s back-to-back home series in the SEC with Missouri (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) and Ole Miss (April 19-21) at Foley Field. A major midweek with Clemson on April 23rd wraps up the important stretch on Georgia’s schedule. First pitch between the Bulldogs and Owls for this week is set for 5:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.