Bulldogs Edge Gamecocks 7-5 in SEC Home Opener

Friday, March 23

Athens, Ga.

7 p.m.

University of Georgia

16-6, 3-1

South Carolina

13-9, 1-3

South Carolina

Georgia Bulldogs

Photo by: Steffenie Burns

March 23, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score UGABox G22

Highlights

Interviews

ATHENS, Ga. – Six scoreless innings from the Bulldog bullpen guided Georgia to a 7-5 victory against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday night at Foley Field.

Sophomore right-hander Tony Locey dealt 10 consecutive outs in relief, capping four innings of no-hit work with a double play in the top of the seventh. Trailing by two, the Bulldog (16-6, 3-1) offense responded in the bottom of the frame, led by a Mason Meadows hit-by-pitch. Freshman C.J. Smith singled before sophomore Tucker Bradley doubled into left field, scoring Meadows from second to make the game 5-4, Gamecocks (13-9, 1-3)

With runners on second and third, sophomore Aaron Schunk grounded out to short to score Smith from third and knot the game at five. After senior Keegan McGovern was intentionally walked, junior Michael Curry's line drive caused a miscue by the center fielder, sending Bradley home from second for the one-run Georgia edge.

The Bulldogs pushed another run across in the bottom of the eighth, sandwiched between an inning apiece from left-handed reliever Kevin Smith and Schunk, which sealed the contest at 7-5.

The Bulldogs jumped ahead in the bottom of the first, started by a walk from Schunk. With one out, McGovern powered a double off the center field wall before a Curry single scored Schunk from third. Sophomore shortstop Cam Shepherd sent the second Georgia run home with a sacrifice fly to right field.

In the top of the third, South Carolina capitalized after a Jacob Olson hit-by-pitch, stringing together three one-out base hits to knot the contest at two. The Gamecocks continued the stanza with a LT Tolbert triple to center field, scoring a pair of go-ahead South Carolina runs. An RBI single from Jonah Bride capped the top of the fifth at 5-2, Gamecocks.

With runners on first and second and no outs, Locey responded to the call out of the bullpen in the top of the fourth inning. The right-hander produced three quick outs – a foul fly out, a strikeout and a groundout – to lead the Bulldogs out of the inning unscathed.

Georgia used the bottom of the frame to cut into the Gamecock advantage, led by a double down the right field line from Shepherd. After junior Adam Sasser singled to right field, junior LJ Talley followed with an RBI base hit, scoring Shepherd from second to slice the South Carolina lead to 5-3.

Redshirt senior pitcher Chase Adkins got the starting nod for Georgia, exiting after three innings. Locey improved to 4-0 on the season, with Schunk earning his first save of the season.

Dawg Tracks

Junior 2B LJ Talley led the Bulldogs with two hits apiece and an RBI.
Junior DH Michael Curry extended his hitting streak to eight games with an RBI base hit in the bottom of the first inning.
A Keegan McGovern double in the first inning moved his reached-base streak to 12 games. The senior leads the team in RBI, hits and batting average this season.
A double from sophomore RF Tucker Bradley in the seventh inning improved his reached-base streak to 12 games. The leadoff hitter posted his third multi-RBI game of the year.
With a double in the fourth inning, sophomore SS Cam Shepherd has now reached base in nine straight games.

Coach's Corner
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin
On the team's maturity from last year...
"I think the biggest sign was we continue to have good at bats. We had a couple innings there where we didn't score but we hit balls right on the barrel. They scored those five runs and found ways to put the ball in play and they found some holes. Our guys didn't panic. I am proud of them. Tony Locey, that is the best outing he has had since he has been here. Four scoreless innings and he deserved that "W." Kevin Smith and Aaron Schunk shut things down. Overall we played a really good baseball game and found a way to win."

On Tony Locey's new role as a reliever…
"That is the biggest thing is accepting it. He obviously wants to be a starter but has accepted the role. If he continues to do what he did he is going to be in those big situations more and more. He was in a big situation in Alabama and got us out of a jam and did a great job. He was outstanding tonight. 94-97 MPH and threw some big breaking balls. He did a great job and he won that game for us."

On consistency in the lineup…
"Adam Sasser is swinging the bat very well. Cam Shepherd has been taking his walks and Adam has been driving his guys in. LJ Talley has had some good at bats. Mason Meadows just finds a way. Even at his last at bat we didn't bunt him and decided to let him swing away and he found a way to put it in play and move Talley over to second and found a way to put it into play. C.J. Smith got a big hit in the ninth hole and Maxwell game in defensively. Up and down our lineup has been good."

Player's Perspective
Sophomore RHP #25 Tony Locey
On entering the game with runners on base…
"It's a lot of pressure. Obviously, you don't want to walk anybody, you don't want to give up the other player's runs. Coming in with runners on base gives me a little edge, a little fire, and I'm ready to get after it a little bit more."

On his consistency between innings…
"My teammates kept telling me to go out and put up another zero. We know what we're going to do as an offense. We know what our offense can do. We know if we kept barreling hits that they're going to find holes. It will end up all good for us."

On the comeback...
"No matter what, win or loss, we always play as a team. We always stay together, and we always fight to the end. I don't think there's one game where we've been blown out yet. It's adversity. It's going to come, it's going to happen, and we're going to struggle. Our team is staying together with wins and losses right now, which is really good. It keeps the confidence in the dugout going. When we were down three, we thought we've been down three before. It could've gotten worse, but it didn't. We kept our composure, we had good at-bats, and we kept throwing up zeros as a pitching staff."

Up Next
The Bulldogs look to seal the series with South Carolina on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Foley Field.