Friday, April 13
Athens, Ga.
7 p.m.
University of Georgia
24-10, 8-5
4
vs
6
Kentucky
24-10, 6-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
Kentucky
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
3
0
2
6
8
2
Georgia Bulldogs
0
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
7
0
Photo by: Steffenie Burns
#11 Kentucky Edges #18 Georgia in Extras, 6-4
April 13, 2018 | Baseball
#11 Kentucky Edges #18 Georgia in Extras, 6-4
ATHENS, Ga. – The No. 18 Georgia baseball team succumbed to 11th-ranked Kentucky in a ninth-inning rally, and then a two-run 11th inning to lose 6-4 Friday evening at Foley Field.
The late runs changed what otherwise was mainly a pitchers duel between Georgia starter Chase Adkins and Kentucky starter Sean Hjelle, however neither received a decision. Adkins tossed six innings, giving up one run on three hits, one walk and striking out six batters. Hjelle went eight innings, yielding four runs on six hits and notching three strikeouts
Kentucky (24-10, 6-7 SEC) pieced together three runs on three hits and two walks in the top of the ninth, spoiling closer Aaron Schunk's attempt at his sixth save of the season. Two walks and a double in the 11th brought the two winning runs home for the Wildcats, and reliever Chris Machamer (2-1) closed out the game for the win. The Bulldogs move to 24-10 (8-5 SEC) on the season.
Adkins set the tone early, sending the Wildcats down in order in the first. Hjelle responded with the same, forecasting the ensuing pitching battle.
Again, Adkins faced the minimum in the second inning, and Cam Shepherd earned the game's first hit with an infield single in the bottom frame. In the next at-bat, lefty Adam Sasser skied a home run beyond the right field fence to make it a Georgia 2-0 lead.
Another three-up three-down inning for Adkins in the third featured a highlight reel diving catch by Tucker Maxwell in centerfield. The bottom half was a mirror image of the previous one with another two-run homer, but this time by Keegan McGovern over the left-field fence. Aaron Schunk reached on a single ahead of McGovern.
The Wildcats answered in the fourth with one run on two hits. With two on and no outs, Adkins yielded a run-scoring single to left field, but reined it in to limit the Wildcats to just that. A fielder's choice groundout, a strikeout, and then another great catch by Maxwell, this time at the wall, stranded the last two runners.
Both pitchers reverted to three-up three-down innings in the fifth and sixth. The infield combo of second baseman LJ Talley and shortstop Cam Shepherd erased UK's leadoff single in the sixth, and Schunk added a diving catch at third.
Kevin Smith started the seventh inning on the mound in relief. After letting the leadoff batter on, Smith induced another 4-6-3 double play, and then struck out the next batter. Threatening again in the eighth with two on and one out, Smith got UK's Tristan Pompey to line into a double play at first base. It marked the third-straight inning with a Georgia double play.
In relief in the 11th, Tony Locey (6-1) gave up two walks prior to the game winning hit, marking his first loss of the season.
Dawg Tracks
- Adam Sasser's homer was his third of the season. The junior had three career home runs entering the 2018 season.
- Keegan McGovern's third-inning home run was his 11th of the season – matching the total he had entering this season. The hit also extended his streak of reaching base safely to 22 games.
- Entering tonight, Kentucky starter Sean Hjelle had only given up two home runs on the season.
- Aaron Schunk and Cam Shepherd tallied multiple hits. For Schunk it marks his 10th multi-hit game, while it is Shepherd's ninth. Shepherd has at least one hit in the last four games.
- In extra innings this season, the Bulldogs are 1-2.
Coach's Corner
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin
On the game...
"We just need to bounce back from tonight. We certainly couldn't finish. We played a great eight innings tonight and just couldn't complete it. You have to tip your hat to them and their bats in the ninth. They battled and competed. That's just the game of baseball. We have two more games tomorrow to win this series against a top ten team. It was a tough loss but we're ready for tomorrow."
Player's Perspective
Senior Leftfielder #32 Keegan McGovern
On the game…
"It's really hard to lose the way we did. We didn't give up any runs after the fourth until the ninth. They're a team that can swing it well, they can hit. We just really have to regroup. Coach told us we have to come out tomorrow ready to go and ready to win the series. We lost the first game at Alabama and came back to win the last two games. If we did it on the road we can absolutely do it here."
Next Up
Georgia and Kentucky wrap up the three-day series Saturday in a doubleheader, starting at 3 p.m. ET. The second game will start at 7 p.m. ET, and will be aired on SEC Network.
The late runs changed what otherwise was mainly a pitchers duel between Georgia starter Chase Adkins and Kentucky starter Sean Hjelle, however neither received a decision. Adkins tossed six innings, giving up one run on three hits, one walk and striking out six batters. Hjelle went eight innings, yielding four runs on six hits and notching three strikeouts
Kentucky (24-10, 6-7 SEC) pieced together three runs on three hits and two walks in the top of the ninth, spoiling closer Aaron Schunk's attempt at his sixth save of the season. Two walks and a double in the 11th brought the two winning runs home for the Wildcats, and reliever Chris Machamer (2-1) closed out the game for the win. The Bulldogs move to 24-10 (8-5 SEC) on the season.
Adkins set the tone early, sending the Wildcats down in order in the first. Hjelle responded with the same, forecasting the ensuing pitching battle.
Again, Adkins faced the minimum in the second inning, and Cam Shepherd earned the game's first hit with an infield single in the bottom frame. In the next at-bat, lefty Adam Sasser skied a home run beyond the right field fence to make it a Georgia 2-0 lead.
Another three-up three-down inning for Adkins in the third featured a highlight reel diving catch by Tucker Maxwell in centerfield. The bottom half was a mirror image of the previous one with another two-run homer, but this time by Keegan McGovern over the left-field fence. Aaron Schunk reached on a single ahead of McGovern.
The Wildcats answered in the fourth with one run on two hits. With two on and no outs, Adkins yielded a run-scoring single to left field, but reined it in to limit the Wildcats to just that. A fielder's choice groundout, a strikeout, and then another great catch by Maxwell, this time at the wall, stranded the last two runners.
Both pitchers reverted to three-up three-down innings in the fifth and sixth. The infield combo of second baseman LJ Talley and shortstop Cam Shepherd erased UK's leadoff single in the sixth, and Schunk added a diving catch at third.
Kevin Smith started the seventh inning on the mound in relief. After letting the leadoff batter on, Smith induced another 4-6-3 double play, and then struck out the next batter. Threatening again in the eighth with two on and one out, Smith got UK's Tristan Pompey to line into a double play at first base. It marked the third-straight inning with a Georgia double play.
In relief in the 11th, Tony Locey (6-1) gave up two walks prior to the game winning hit, marking his first loss of the season.
Dawg Tracks
- Adam Sasser's homer was his third of the season. The junior had three career home runs entering the 2018 season.
- Keegan McGovern's third-inning home run was his 11th of the season – matching the total he had entering this season. The hit also extended his streak of reaching base safely to 22 games.
- Entering tonight, Kentucky starter Sean Hjelle had only given up two home runs on the season.
- Aaron Schunk and Cam Shepherd tallied multiple hits. For Schunk it marks his 10th multi-hit game, while it is Shepherd's ninth. Shepherd has at least one hit in the last four games.
- In extra innings this season, the Bulldogs are 1-2.
Coach's Corner
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin
On the game...
"We just need to bounce back from tonight. We certainly couldn't finish. We played a great eight innings tonight and just couldn't complete it. You have to tip your hat to them and their bats in the ninth. They battled and competed. That's just the game of baseball. We have two more games tomorrow to win this series against a top ten team. It was a tough loss but we're ready for tomorrow."
Player's Perspective
Senior Leftfielder #32 Keegan McGovern
On the game…
"It's really hard to lose the way we did. We didn't give up any runs after the fourth until the ninth. They're a team that can swing it well, they can hit. We just really have to regroup. Coach told us we have to come out tomorrow ready to go and ready to win the series. We lost the first game at Alabama and came back to win the last two games. If we did it on the road we can absolutely do it here."
Next Up
Georgia and Kentucky wrap up the three-day series Saturday in a doubleheader, starting at 3 p.m. ET. The second game will start at 7 p.m. ET, and will be aired on SEC Network.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Chris Machamer (2-1)
L: Locey, Tony (6-1)
Batting:
2B: T.J. Collett 1 ; Trey Dawson 1
RBI: Luke Heyer 1 ; T.J. Collett 1 ; Ben Aklinski 2 ; Trey Dawson 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Tristan Pompey 1 ; Luke Heyer 1 ; Kole Cottam 1 ; Zeke Lewis 2 ; Ryan Johnson 1
SB: Tristan Pompey 1
HBP: Luke Becker 1
Batting:
2B: Shepherd, Cam 1
HR: McGovern, Keegan 1 ; Sasser, Adam 1
RBI: McGovern, Keegan 2 ; Sasser, Adam 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Schunk, Aaron 1 ; McGovern, Keegan 1 ; Shepherd, Cam 1 ; Sasser, Adam 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
3b/p
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball1B
/ BaseballINF/RHP
/ BaseballSS
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Georgia Baseball - NCAA Regional vs Oklahoma State - Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, June 01
Georgia Baseball - NCAA Regional vs Duke - Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, May 31
Georgia Baseball - NCAA Regional vs Binghamton - TV Highlights
Friday, May 30
Georgia Baseball - NCAA Regional vs Binghamton - Postgame Press Conference
Friday, May 30
