Saturday, February 27
Athens, Ga.
4:30 p.m.
University of Georgia
6-1
5
vs
1
Gardner-Webb
1-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Gardner-Webb
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
9
0
Georgia
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
1
X
5
8
1
Bulldogs Sweep Doubleheader From Gardner-Webb
February 27, 2021 | Baseball
ATHENS-----Seventh-ranked Georgia swept a doubleheader from Gardner-Webb Saturday at Foley Field, winning 3-2 and 5-1 to extend its winning streak to six games.
In game one, redshirt junior Josh McAllister smashed his first career home run to give Georgia a 3-2 walk-off. Junior Jack Gowen notched his first career victory while Lenny Washington dropped to 0-1. In the nightcap, Georgia continued its winning ways behind strong pitching from Ryan Webb, Luke Wagner, Darryn Pasqua and Collin Caldwell. With the two victories, the Bulldogs improved to 6-1.
In game one, Gardner-Webb (1-3) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Keji Parkhurst and Dom Peroni. Right-hander Mason Miller held Georgia to one hit heading to the sixth when Cole Tate reached with a one-out single. Then, freshman Corey Collins tied the game with a run-scoring double for his team-high fifth RBI on the year. In the bottom of the seventh, freshman catcher Fernando Gonzalez led off with a double off reliever Kyle Skidmore to extend his hitting streak to five games. Pinch-runner Randon Jernigan took third on a flyout and then Wagner delivered a pinch-hit RBI-double to score Jernigan for a 2-1 lead.
Georgia senior left-hander C.J. Smith matched his career high going seven innings but got a no decision. Freshman Will Pearson and the Bulldogs got out of jam in the eighth as Gardner-Webb put a runner at third with one out. With the infield in, Pearson struck out Joe Simone. After a walk to Parkhurst, he retired Peroni to maintain the lead. With one out and runner at second in the top of the ninth, Georgia looked to Gowen. Gardner-Webb shortstop Ben Laspaluto tied the game with an RBI-single.
Then in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, two strikes and nobody on, McAllister launched a drive over the left field wall as Mitch McClendon jumped up to try and make the catch and came up empty. This was the second walk-off for the Bulldogs this season, and the first by a home run since Tucker Bradley last year over Santa Clara to end game one of a doubleheader in the 12th.
In game two Saturday, a pitcher's duel ensued. Georgia broke through in the fifth with a two-out rally to take a 1-0 lead. Chaney Rogers reached on a walk, took second on a base hit by Shane Marshall and scored on a single from Randon Jernigan. Bulldog senior left-hander Ryan Webb made his season debut and was on a pitch count. He provided three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, no walks and four strikeouts. Wagner started the fourth and went 2.2 innings before Gardner-Webb put a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs in the sixth. Georgia called on Pasqua, and he extinguished the threat with a strikeout. In the bottom of the sixth, Cole Tate made it 2-0 when he smacked his first home run of the season. For the second time in his career, Caldwell inherited a two-out, bases-loaded situation, and he delivered. On Saturday, he kept it a 2-0 contest with a strikeout of Joe Simone.
Georgia added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh as Tate and Collins collected RBI for a 4-0 advantage and Marshall's RBI-groundout in the eighth provided the final run. Gardner-Webb avoided a shutout with a run in the ninth on a RBI-single from Cam Pearcey. Wagner collected the win to move his record to 2-0 while Caldwell got his second save, taking care of the final 2.1 innings with four strikeouts. GW starter Issac Campbell dropped to 0-1, allowing two runs on six hits in 5.2 innings.
The series concludes Sunday with first pitch at 1:02 p.m (SECN+).
Coach Stricklin
Bulldog Postgame Comments
Josh McAllister, INF, RJr.
On hitting the walk-off home run in game one
"It was awesome. Just one word, awesome!"
On his nickname the JUCO Bandit...
"I think it just started in BP (batting practice). When I first got back my BP was doing really well. I was hitting some balls out but during BP, but I guess some of the guys were ragging me about the junior college deal. It shook off on Coach Stricklin so every time I take BP and he is taking the base running group then there I am The JUCO Bandit."
Luke Wagner, LHP/OF
On getting Ryan Webb back
"I have been committed here for a while and ever since I committed, I have been watching Georgia games. Ryan is always front and center winning games and saves. It was really cool being on his team and seeing what he can do and why he is so good. He is going to be huge for us this year. Today showed how good he is going to be."
On the setup of his relief outing today
"Earlier in the week, Coach (Sean) Kenny told me that Ryan was on a pitch count so to prepare like it's a start basically. That is what I did I got ready to come into the fourth inning regardless."
Georgia's Ike Cousins Head Coach Scott Stricklin
On what he is learning about this team
"Well, we are certainly young on the mound. We've got a lot of those young arms going out there and they are growing up. Seeing Ryan Webb back out there today I think that is what we all hope to see, 92,93 MPH with nothing but strikes. So that was very encouraging. We are going to see Jonathan Cannon come back soon and Michael Polk come back soon. That will be good. We are getting better as we go. I think what we are learning is that we have some depth on the mound with those young pitchers."
On Luke Wagner's performance and confidence
"He did look comfortable. We were hoping to get four maybe even five innings out of him today. But they did a pretty good job at adjusting. Luke, I think most freshman have a tendency of doing this, he really went after it in the first and second inning, which we like. But then his velocity dropped a little bit and then they started doing a better job adjusting the second time through the order. I think the thing with Luke Wagner is you'll see him get better and stronger. You'll see him maintain that velocity as he gets stronger. I think he will be a 90, 92 guy and will be able to hold up a little longer."
In game one, redshirt junior Josh McAllister smashed his first career home run to give Georgia a 3-2 walk-off. Junior Jack Gowen notched his first career victory while Lenny Washington dropped to 0-1. In the nightcap, Georgia continued its winning ways behind strong pitching from Ryan Webb, Luke Wagner, Darryn Pasqua and Collin Caldwell. With the two victories, the Bulldogs improved to 6-1.
In game one, Gardner-Webb (1-3) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Keji Parkhurst and Dom Peroni. Right-hander Mason Miller held Georgia to one hit heading to the sixth when Cole Tate reached with a one-out single. Then, freshman Corey Collins tied the game with a run-scoring double for his team-high fifth RBI on the year. In the bottom of the seventh, freshman catcher Fernando Gonzalez led off with a double off reliever Kyle Skidmore to extend his hitting streak to five games. Pinch-runner Randon Jernigan took third on a flyout and then Wagner delivered a pinch-hit RBI-double to score Jernigan for a 2-1 lead.
Georgia senior left-hander C.J. Smith matched his career high going seven innings but got a no decision. Freshman Will Pearson and the Bulldogs got out of jam in the eighth as Gardner-Webb put a runner at third with one out. With the infield in, Pearson struck out Joe Simone. After a walk to Parkhurst, he retired Peroni to maintain the lead. With one out and runner at second in the top of the ninth, Georgia looked to Gowen. Gardner-Webb shortstop Ben Laspaluto tied the game with an RBI-single.
Then in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, two strikes and nobody on, McAllister launched a drive over the left field wall as Mitch McClendon jumped up to try and make the catch and came up empty. This was the second walk-off for the Bulldogs this season, and the first by a home run since Tucker Bradley last year over Santa Clara to end game one of a doubleheader in the 12th.
In game two Saturday, a pitcher's duel ensued. Georgia broke through in the fifth with a two-out rally to take a 1-0 lead. Chaney Rogers reached on a walk, took second on a base hit by Shane Marshall and scored on a single from Randon Jernigan. Bulldog senior left-hander Ryan Webb made his season debut and was on a pitch count. He provided three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, no walks and four strikeouts. Wagner started the fourth and went 2.2 innings before Gardner-Webb put a pair of runners in scoring position with two outs in the sixth. Georgia called on Pasqua, and he extinguished the threat with a strikeout. In the bottom of the sixth, Cole Tate made it 2-0 when he smacked his first home run of the season. For the second time in his career, Caldwell inherited a two-out, bases-loaded situation, and he delivered. On Saturday, he kept it a 2-0 contest with a strikeout of Joe Simone.
Georgia added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh as Tate and Collins collected RBI for a 4-0 advantage and Marshall's RBI-groundout in the eighth provided the final run. Gardner-Webb avoided a shutout with a run in the ninth on a RBI-single from Cam Pearcey. Wagner collected the win to move his record to 2-0 while Caldwell got his second save, taking care of the final 2.1 innings with four strikeouts. GW starter Issac Campbell dropped to 0-1, allowing two runs on six hits in 5.2 innings.
The series concludes Sunday with first pitch at 1:02 p.m (SECN+).
POSTGAME VIDEOS
Coach Stricklin
Bulldog Postgame Comments
Josh McAllister, INF, RJr.
On hitting the walk-off home run in game one
"It was awesome. Just one word, awesome!"
On his nickname the JUCO Bandit...
"I think it just started in BP (batting practice). When I first got back my BP was doing really well. I was hitting some balls out but during BP, but I guess some of the guys were ragging me about the junior college deal. It shook off on Coach Stricklin so every time I take BP and he is taking the base running group then there I am The JUCO Bandit."
Luke Wagner, LHP/OF
On getting Ryan Webb back
"I have been committed here for a while and ever since I committed, I have been watching Georgia games. Ryan is always front and center winning games and saves. It was really cool being on his team and seeing what he can do and why he is so good. He is going to be huge for us this year. Today showed how good he is going to be."
On the setup of his relief outing today
"Earlier in the week, Coach (Sean) Kenny told me that Ryan was on a pitch count so to prepare like it's a start basically. That is what I did I got ready to come into the fourth inning regardless."
Georgia's Ike Cousins Head Coach Scott Stricklin
On what he is learning about this team
"Well, we are certainly young on the mound. We've got a lot of those young arms going out there and they are growing up. Seeing Ryan Webb back out there today I think that is what we all hope to see, 92,93 MPH with nothing but strikes. So that was very encouraging. We are going to see Jonathan Cannon come back soon and Michael Polk come back soon. That will be good. We are getting better as we go. I think what we are learning is that we have some depth on the mound with those young pitchers."
On Luke Wagner's performance and confidence
"He did look comfortable. We were hoping to get four maybe even five innings out of him today. But they did a pretty good job at adjusting. Luke, I think most freshman have a tendency of doing this, he really went after it in the first and second inning, which we like. But then his velocity dropped a little bit and then they started doing a better job adjusting the second time through the order. I think the thing with Luke Wagner is you'll see him get better and stronger. You'll see him maintain that velocity as he gets stronger. I think he will be a 90, 92 guy and will be able to hold up a little longer."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wagner, Luke (2-0)
L: CAMPBELL, Isaac (0-1)
S: Caldwell, Collin (2)
Batting:
2B: BRAZIL, Joe 1
RBI: PEARCEY, Cam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: BOWERS, Elijah 1
SB: SIMONE, Joe 1
HBP: PEARCEY, Cam 1
Batting:
HR: Tate, Cole 1
RBI: Tate, Cole 2 ; Collins, Corey 1 ; Marshall, Shane 1 ; Jernigan, Randon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tate, Cole 1 ; Rogers, Chaney 2 ; Marshall, Shane 1 ; Jernigan, Randon 1
HBP: Tate, Cole 1 ; Marshall, Shane 1 ; Jernigan, Randon 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/1B
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP/OF
/ Baseball
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