University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Beats Stanford, Advances To National Championship Series
June 21, 2008 | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. The sixth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs advanced to the national championship series at the 2008 College World Series with a 10-8 victory over seventh-ranked Stanford Saturday at Rosenblatt Stadium in front of a crowd of 15,828.
“To Stanford: Great year. Class program,” Georgia head coach David Perno said. “Coach (Mark) Marquess is one of the best coaches in the game, and I tip my hat to them. Today, it was just about getting our offense going and getting some clutch hits early with two-out RBIs. (Joey) Lewis was huge early in the game, and again (Dean) Weaver and (Alex) McRee were tremendous. Our bullpen was phenomenal through those middle innings.”
Georgia earned its berth in the national championship series by winning bracket one of the two-bracket, double elimination CWS format with a 3-0 record. The Bulldogs opened the CWS with a 7-4 win over No. 1 Miami and defeated No. 7 Stanford twice, 4-3 last Monday and again on Saturday. In just their sixth CWS trip, the Bulldogs will play for the national title for the second time in the program’s history after reaching the title game and winning the championship in 1990.
The Bulldogs opponent in the national championship series will be either North Carolina or Fresno State from bracket two. Those two schools will meet on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Fresno State enters that contest 2-0 at the CWS, while North Carolina is 2-1. If Fresno State wins, they will advance to the championship series, however a North Carolina victory would force a decisive elimination game on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
The national championship best-of-three series between Georgia and either Fresno State or North Carolina will begin with game one on Monday, June 23 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
On Saturday, Georgia was led to victory by its offensive attack that produced 10 runs on 15 hits. Sophomore Rich Poythress led the way with a 4-for-5 day at the plate that included three doubles, four RBI and two runs scored. The three doubles tied a CWS game record that was last achieved in 2005. Senior Ryan Peisel (3-for-5, 3 runs) and Joey Lewis (2-for-5) each added three RBI. Juniors Gordon Beckham and Miles Starr each added two hits and two runs scored for the Bulldogs.
“It’s not over until it’s over,” Beckham said when asked what the team has learned since last season that they’ve carried over into this season. “I can’t tell you how many leads we blew last year in the ninth inning. That’s one of those things where this year we really have stayed on everybody throughout the game, even when we get a lead, to keep pressing and keep scoring. It’s not over until the third out is recorded in the ninth. Now, just mentally, I think we are all a little bit tougher coming through the season we went through last year.”
“We’re in the national championship series,” Beckham added. “You couldn’t ask for more. What we want to do is play on the last day, and that’s all we can ask. The chips are going to fall the way they will, but we’re playing on the last day.”
The four hits by Poythress and two hits by Starr tied career highs. Poythress had record four hits in a game on three previous occasions with the last time coming on May 16 this season against Alabama. Starr had only once before recorded two hits in a game with that performance coming against Clemson April of last season.
Junior Nathan Moreau got the start for Georgia against Stanford but did not factor into the decision after working 2.1 innings allowing one run on two hits while walking three and striking three. Sophomore Dean Weaver tossed 3.2 innings in relief of Moreau allowing three runs on six hits without walking a batter and striking out one en route to earning the victory and improving to 6-1 on the year. The Bulldogs also received two scoreless innings of relief from sophomore Alex McRee.
Stanford starter Jeremy Bleich (3-3) suffered the loss after he pitched 3.1 innings allowing six runs, all earned, on eight hits while issuing two walks, both intentional, and striking out four. Entering the game, Bleich had allowed just five unearned runs on the year in 44.0 innings.
Georgia built a 4-1 lead through the first three innings. In the second, Poythress led off with a double down the left field line, and two batters later, Lewis provided a two-out RBI single to left. The Bulldogs added three runs in the top of the third on an RBI double off the right field wall from Poythress and a two-run single to left from Lewis. Stanford produced its first run in the bottom of the third. After loading the bases and ending the day for Moreau, Stanford got a sacrifice fly from Brent Milleville. The frame featured a diving stop by Starr on a single to keep it in the infield as the Bulldogs and Weaver ended the threat en route to the victory. Later in the contest, freshman Lyle Allen made a huge running catch at the wall to preserve Georgia’s advantage.
In the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs scored two runs to stretch its lead to 6-1. Starr and Peisel started the frame with a pair of singles, and after a sacrifice bunt from senior Matt Olson moved the runners up Stanford intentionally walked Beckham to load the bases. The intentional walk ended the day for Bleich as the Cardinal turned to Drew Storen. Poythress greeted the right-handed reliever with a two-run single to center. On the year, Poythress is now batting .615 (8-for-13) with 11 RBI following an intentional pass to Beckham.
Stanford produced two runs in its half of the fourth to give the game a 6-3 score. With two outs, Jake Schlander singled and scored on a triple to right center from Phelps. Phelps also scored in the inning on a wild pitch from Weaver.
Peisel answered for Georgia in the fifth with a three-run, opposite-field home run that pushed the advantage to 9-3. Freshman Lyle Allen and Starr were aboard for the home run after recording a pair of one-out singles.
The Cardinal again scored in their half of the fifth, getting a two-out RBI single from Joey August. Jason Castro scored the run that made it a 9-4 game after leading off with a single and advanced to second on a base hit from Milleville.
Georgia added its final run on back-to-back doubles down the left field line from Beckham and Poythress in the eighth inning to make it a 10-4 game, while Stanford brought the game to its final margin with four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Bulldog senior Joshua Fields pitched the final inning for the Bulldogs that saw a pinch hit RBI from Colin Walsh and a three-run, pinch-hit home run from Ben Clowe for the Cardinal.
Also of note for Georgia, Beckham’s single in the third extended his hitting streak to 12 games, while Allen’s single in the fifth extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Massanari, who went hitless on the day, saw his team-leading and career-best, 18-game hitting streak come to a close.
“To Stanford: Great year. Class program,” Georgia head coach David Perno said. “Coach (Mark) Marquess is one of the best coaches in the game, and I tip my hat to them. Today, it was just about getting our offense going and getting some clutch hits early with two-out RBIs. (Joey) Lewis was huge early in the game, and again (Dean) Weaver and (Alex) McRee were tremendous. Our bullpen was phenomenal through those middle innings.”
Georgia earned its berth in the national championship series by winning bracket one of the two-bracket, double elimination CWS format with a 3-0 record. The Bulldogs opened the CWS with a 7-4 win over No. 1 Miami and defeated No. 7 Stanford twice, 4-3 last Monday and again on Saturday. In just their sixth CWS trip, the Bulldogs will play for the national title for the second time in the program’s history after reaching the title game and winning the championship in 1990.
The Bulldogs opponent in the national championship series will be either North Carolina or Fresno State from bracket two. Those two schools will meet on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. Fresno State enters that contest 2-0 at the CWS, while North Carolina is 2-1. If Fresno State wins, they will advance to the championship series, however a North Carolina victory would force a decisive elimination game on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
The national championship best-of-three series between Georgia and either Fresno State or North Carolina will begin with game one on Monday, June 23 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
On Saturday, Georgia was led to victory by its offensive attack that produced 10 runs on 15 hits. Sophomore Rich Poythress led the way with a 4-for-5 day at the plate that included three doubles, four RBI and two runs scored. The three doubles tied a CWS game record that was last achieved in 2005. Senior Ryan Peisel (3-for-5, 3 runs) and Joey Lewis (2-for-5) each added three RBI. Juniors Gordon Beckham and Miles Starr each added two hits and two runs scored for the Bulldogs.
“It’s not over until it’s over,” Beckham said when asked what the team has learned since last season that they’ve carried over into this season. “I can’t tell you how many leads we blew last year in the ninth inning. That’s one of those things where this year we really have stayed on everybody throughout the game, even when we get a lead, to keep pressing and keep scoring. It’s not over until the third out is recorded in the ninth. Now, just mentally, I think we are all a little bit tougher coming through the season we went through last year.”
“We’re in the national championship series,” Beckham added. “You couldn’t ask for more. What we want to do is play on the last day, and that’s all we can ask. The chips are going to fall the way they will, but we’re playing on the last day.”
The four hits by Poythress and two hits by Starr tied career highs. Poythress had record four hits in a game on three previous occasions with the last time coming on May 16 this season against Alabama. Starr had only once before recorded two hits in a game with that performance coming against Clemson April of last season.
Junior Nathan Moreau got the start for Georgia against Stanford but did not factor into the decision after working 2.1 innings allowing one run on two hits while walking three and striking three. Sophomore Dean Weaver tossed 3.2 innings in relief of Moreau allowing three runs on six hits without walking a batter and striking out one en route to earning the victory and improving to 6-1 on the year. The Bulldogs also received two scoreless innings of relief from sophomore Alex McRee.
Stanford starter Jeremy Bleich (3-3) suffered the loss after he pitched 3.1 innings allowing six runs, all earned, on eight hits while issuing two walks, both intentional, and striking out four. Entering the game, Bleich had allowed just five unearned runs on the year in 44.0 innings.
Georgia built a 4-1 lead through the first three innings. In the second, Poythress led off with a double down the left field line, and two batters later, Lewis provided a two-out RBI single to left. The Bulldogs added three runs in the top of the third on an RBI double off the right field wall from Poythress and a two-run single to left from Lewis. Stanford produced its first run in the bottom of the third. After loading the bases and ending the day for Moreau, Stanford got a sacrifice fly from Brent Milleville. The frame featured a diving stop by Starr on a single to keep it in the infield as the Bulldogs and Weaver ended the threat en route to the victory. Later in the contest, freshman Lyle Allen made a huge running catch at the wall to preserve Georgia’s advantage.
In the top of the fourth, the Bulldogs scored two runs to stretch its lead to 6-1. Starr and Peisel started the frame with a pair of singles, and after a sacrifice bunt from senior Matt Olson moved the runners up Stanford intentionally walked Beckham to load the bases. The intentional walk ended the day for Bleich as the Cardinal turned to Drew Storen. Poythress greeted the right-handed reliever with a two-run single to center. On the year, Poythress is now batting .615 (8-for-13) with 11 RBI following an intentional pass to Beckham.
Stanford produced two runs in its half of the fourth to give the game a 6-3 score. With two outs, Jake Schlander singled and scored on a triple to right center from Phelps. Phelps also scored in the inning on a wild pitch from Weaver.
Peisel answered for Georgia in the fifth with a three-run, opposite-field home run that pushed the advantage to 9-3. Freshman Lyle Allen and Starr were aboard for the home run after recording a pair of one-out singles.
The Cardinal again scored in their half of the fifth, getting a two-out RBI single from Joey August. Jason Castro scored the run that made it a 9-4 game after leading off with a single and advanced to second on a base hit from Milleville.
Georgia added its final run on back-to-back doubles down the left field line from Beckham and Poythress in the eighth inning to make it a 10-4 game, while Stanford brought the game to its final margin with four runs in the bottom of the ninth. Bulldog senior Joshua Fields pitched the final inning for the Bulldogs that saw a pinch hit RBI from Colin Walsh and a three-run, pinch-hit home run from Ben Clowe for the Cardinal.
Also of note for Georgia, Beckham’s single in the third extended his hitting streak to 12 games, while Allen’s single in the fifth extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Massanari, who went hitless on the day, saw his team-leading and career-best, 18-game hitting streak come to a close.
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