University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Baseball Drops Series Finale To Rebels, 9-0
April 08, 2007 | Baseball
A trio of Ole Miss hurlers combined on a four-hit shutout as the Rebels improved to 24-10 overall and 7-5 in the SEC. They took advantage of a pair of Bulldog errors to plate a run in the second and then built a 4-0 edge in the third. Third baseman Cody Overbeck keyed a three-run outburst with a two-run single off Bulldog freshman Justin Earls. In the fifth, Georgia made its third error of the game including second by shortstop Gordon Beckham, which led to another Rebel run and a 5-0 lead.
Ole Miss freshman Nathan Baker improved to 4-1, blanking the Bulldogs for six innings. He gave up just three hits, a walk and struck out four before giving way to Justin Cryer. Georgia missed a chance to score in the first and again in the seventh. The Bulldogs (11-21, 4-8 SEC) put runners at the corners with one out in the but Baker struck out Rich Poythress and Matt Olson. Then, the left-hander retired 17 of the next 18 Bulldogs before leaving with two on and nobody out in the seventh.
After Cryer issued a walk to Matt Robbins to load the bases, freshman Matt Cerione swung at the first pitch and flew out to left field for the first out. Catcher Jake Crane lined a 1-2 offering to shortstop Zack Cozart who caught it and fired across to first to complete a double play. Earls got the loss to fall to 2-2. He went 3.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with four walks. The Rebels added four runs on four hits in the eighth off Georgia sophomore Jason Leaver for the final. The lone bright spot for the Bulldogs was 3.1 innings of relief from Trevor Holder, who allowed just one unearned run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
“We had been playing well this week until today, and we didn’t do much of anything with the exception of Trevor (Holder),” said Georgia coach David Perno. “This team has got to make up their mind which way they want to go. Our left side of the infield played poorly, they struggled late Friday and again today, and they are our veterans. However, they weren’t the only ones who didn’t perform Sunday.”
Georgia returns to Athens for a single game Tuesday before heading back out on the road. The Bulldogs play host to Savannah State at 5 p.m. on April 10 at Foley Field. Then, Georgia goes to Western Carolina Wednesday and to Alabama Friday for the start of another SEC series.
