Friday, March 9
Athens, Ga.
6 p.m.
University of Georgia
9-5
7
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Toledo
3-9
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9
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Toledo
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Georgia Bulldogs
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Photo by: Cory A. Cole
Bulldogs Ground Rockets in 7-0 Shutout
March 09, 2018 | Baseball
ATHENS, Ga. – Behind six innings of scoreless work from redshirt-senior Chase Adkins, the Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Toledo Rockets 7-0 on Friday at Foley Field.
The right-handed starter improved to 2-0 on the mound in Friday's contest, giving up just one hit with nine strikeouts in six innings.
The Georgia (9-5) offense struck in the bottom of the third, after senior Keegan McGovern was hit by a pitch, and sophomore Cam Shepherd reached base on a fielder's choice. With junior Michael Curry at the plate, Shepherd advanced to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball, leading up to a free base for Curry. With runners on first and third, Shepherd capitalized on a pick-off attempt to first, stealing home to put up a Bulldog run.
Georgia doubled its run-total in the fourth, started by a lead-off double to right field from senior Mitchell Webb. Sophomore Mason Meadows knocked an RBI base hit up the middle to score Webb from second and hand Georgia the 2-0 edge.
In the next inning, Georgia took advantage of back-to-back walks to lead off the frame. A fielder's choice by sophomore Aaron Schunk allowed Shepherd to reach third. Pinch hitter Riley King followed with a fielder's choice to second, allowing Shepherd to score and widening the Bulldog lead to a trio of runs.
Meanwhile, Adkins sat down 16-straight Rockets (3-9), surrendering his lone hit of the night in the top of the sixth. Relief came from a scoreless three innings from the Georgia bullpen, split up between senior Blake Cairnes, junior Kevin Smith and freshman C.J. Smith.
K. Smith alluded a bases-loaded eighth to keep the Rockets off the board, and in the bottom of the frame, the Bulldogs tacked on four insurance runs. A Meadows base hit, Rocket error and McGovern fly ball lost in the lights pieced together the fourth Georgia run. Then, Shepherd pushed a single up the middle, scoring McGovern and sophomore Tucker Bradley from second and third. Schunk sealed the final offensive outburst with a double sliced down the left field line for the 7-0 margin.
With the Rockets threatening on second and third in the ninth, C.J. Smith used a pair of strikeouts to secure the shutout.
Dawg Tracks
- In the bottom of the third, sophomore Cam Shepherd became the first Bulldog to steal home since Brett DeLoach did so against the fourth-ranked LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- RHP Chase Adkins' scoreless start featured nine strikeouts, bringing him just one shy of his career high.
- Aaron Schunk matched a career-high nine-game hitting streak with a double down the left field line in the eighth inning.
Coach's Corner
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin
On the overall team performance...
"We put pressure on [Michael] Jacob, their pitcher all night long. We had guys on base. We kept pushing and pushing, and we finally broke through and got some runs. Defense bailed us out a little bit. Chase [Adkins] was great. Blake Cairnes, Kevin Smith and C.J. Smith, all did a good job out of the pen. So, yeah, I think it was a pretty complete win."
On taking advantage of Toledo mistakes...
"We talked to our guys about grinding it out. Keep grinding it out. Find a way to put pressure on the teams. If you put enough pressure on them, they are going to be some missed plays. There was a couple mistakes late that we took advantage of. And I know we got some hits to drive them in. I thought our guys kept battling. I thought our guys had a good approach today and played really hard."
Player's Perspective
Redshirt Senior RHP #23 Chase Adkins
On the Friday starting nod…
"After five years of playing college baseball, that was my first Friday night start. It was fun. Nothing really changed, just the starter mentality. I just had to keep making good pitches."
On giving up one hit…
"I felt pretty good. I kept the pitches low and in the zone, throwing all speeds for a strike, and keeping the hitters off balance. Everything was working, so it was a pretty good day."
Up Next
Georgia caps the Toledo series on Saturday with a double header at Foley Field, beginning at 12 p.m. The second contest will begin approximately 45 minutes after the first ends.
Follow the Dawgs
For the latest on Georgia baseball, follow the Georgia baseball team on twitter (@baseballuga), Instagram (baseballuga), and Facebook (Georgia Baseball).
The right-handed starter improved to 2-0 on the mound in Friday's contest, giving up just one hit with nine strikeouts in six innings.
The Georgia (9-5) offense struck in the bottom of the third, after senior Keegan McGovern was hit by a pitch, and sophomore Cam Shepherd reached base on a fielder's choice. With junior Michael Curry at the plate, Shepherd advanced to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball, leading up to a free base for Curry. With runners on first and third, Shepherd capitalized on a pick-off attempt to first, stealing home to put up a Bulldog run.
Georgia doubled its run-total in the fourth, started by a lead-off double to right field from senior Mitchell Webb. Sophomore Mason Meadows knocked an RBI base hit up the middle to score Webb from second and hand Georgia the 2-0 edge.
In the next inning, Georgia took advantage of back-to-back walks to lead off the frame. A fielder's choice by sophomore Aaron Schunk allowed Shepherd to reach third. Pinch hitter Riley King followed with a fielder's choice to second, allowing Shepherd to score and widening the Bulldog lead to a trio of runs.
Meanwhile, Adkins sat down 16-straight Rockets (3-9), surrendering his lone hit of the night in the top of the sixth. Relief came from a scoreless three innings from the Georgia bullpen, split up between senior Blake Cairnes, junior Kevin Smith and freshman C.J. Smith.
K. Smith alluded a bases-loaded eighth to keep the Rockets off the board, and in the bottom of the frame, the Bulldogs tacked on four insurance runs. A Meadows base hit, Rocket error and McGovern fly ball lost in the lights pieced together the fourth Georgia run. Then, Shepherd pushed a single up the middle, scoring McGovern and sophomore Tucker Bradley from second and third. Schunk sealed the final offensive outburst with a double sliced down the left field line for the 7-0 margin.
With the Rockets threatening on second and third in the ninth, C.J. Smith used a pair of strikeouts to secure the shutout.
Dawg Tracks
- In the bottom of the third, sophomore Cam Shepherd became the first Bulldog to steal home since Brett DeLoach did so against the fourth-ranked LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- RHP Chase Adkins' scoreless start featured nine strikeouts, bringing him just one shy of his career high.
- Aaron Schunk matched a career-high nine-game hitting streak with a double down the left field line in the eighth inning.
Coach's Corner
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin
On the overall team performance...
"We put pressure on [Michael] Jacob, their pitcher all night long. We had guys on base. We kept pushing and pushing, and we finally broke through and got some runs. Defense bailed us out a little bit. Chase [Adkins] was great. Blake Cairnes, Kevin Smith and C.J. Smith, all did a good job out of the pen. So, yeah, I think it was a pretty complete win."
On taking advantage of Toledo mistakes...
"We talked to our guys about grinding it out. Keep grinding it out. Find a way to put pressure on the teams. If you put enough pressure on them, they are going to be some missed plays. There was a couple mistakes late that we took advantage of. And I know we got some hits to drive them in. I thought our guys kept battling. I thought our guys had a good approach today and played really hard."
Player's Perspective
Redshirt Senior RHP #23 Chase Adkins
On the Friday starting nod…
"After five years of playing college baseball, that was my first Friday night start. It was fun. Nothing really changed, just the starter mentality. I just had to keep making good pitches."
On giving up one hit…
"I felt pretty good. I kept the pitches low and in the zone, throwing all speeds for a strike, and keeping the hitters off balance. Everything was working, so it was a pretty good day."
Up Next
Georgia caps the Toledo series on Saturday with a double header at Foley Field, beginning at 12 p.m. The second contest will begin approximately 45 minutes after the first ends.
Follow the Dawgs
For the latest on Georgia baseball, follow the Georgia baseball team on twitter (@baseballuga), Instagram (baseballuga), and Facebook (Georgia Baseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Adkins, Chase (2-0)
L: JACOB, Michael (0-3)
Base Running:
HBP: ADOLPH, Ross 1
Batting:
2B: Schunk, Aaron 1 ; Webb, Mitchell 1
RBI: McGovern, Keegan 1 ; Shepherd, Cam 2 ; Schunk, Aaron 1 ; King, Riley 1 ; Meadows, Mason 1
SH: Talley, LJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bradley, Tucker 1 ; McGovern, Keegan 1 ; Shepherd, Cam 3 ; Webb, Mitchell 1 ; Meadows, Mason 1
SB: Bradley, Tucker 1 ; McGovern, Keegan 2 ; Shepherd, Cam 1
HBP: McGovern, Keegan 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
cf/rf
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballOF/LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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OF/C
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
INF/RHP
/ Baseball
SS
/ Baseball
LHP/OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballINF
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