University of Georgia
15-12, 1-7
Vanderbilt
22-5, 8-0
No. 4 Vanderbilt Clinches SEC Series
April 01, 2023 | Baseball
Vanderbilt (22-5, 8-0 SEC) responded each time Georgia scored including when the Bulldogs tied the game in the sixth after trailing 8-2. The Bulldogs fell to 15-12 overall and 1-7 SEC.
Redshirt freshman Charlie Condon blasted his team-leading 11th home run with two outs in the first to put the Bulldogs in front 1-0. He now has reached base in 26 straight games. Vanderbilt answered as Enrique Bradfield Jr. tied the game with a leadoff home run, his fourth this year. Then with two outs in the first, Chris Maldonado gave the Commodores a 3-1 advantage with a two-run single.
Coming into Saturday, Bulldog left-hander Liam Sullivan had issued just nine walks in 28 innings, but he had five in three innings and got a no decision, allowing five runs on five hits. In the third, the Commodores took advantage a of a couple free passes, and with two outs, Matthew Polk delivered a two-run single to stretch their lead to 5-1. In the fourth, Georgia turned to sophomore right-hander Chandler Marsh. In the fifth, Georgia loaded the bases with one out and managed only a sacrifice fly by Condon to cut it to 5-2. The Commodores extended their lead to 8-2, adding three runs on three hits and three walks off Marsh in their half of the fifth.
The Bulldogs erupted for six runs on four hits to tie the contest in the sixth to chase Vanderbilt sophomore Hunter Owen. Sebastian Murillo got the outburst going with an RBI-double. Ben Anderson notched an RBI-single and graduate Connor Tate delivered the big blow, collecting his second career grand slam to cap the scoring off Commodore reliever Bryce Cunningham (1-0). However, Vanderbilt struck back again, pushing across three runs on three hits for an 11-8 lead off the Bulldogs and right-hander Will Pearson (0-1). In the eighth, the Commodores added five runs on six hits off Zach DeVito and Dalton Rhadans to push their lead to 16-8. The Bulldogs walked 10 and hit one batter on the day and seven of those runners scored.
"We fought back, but every time we scored, they scored, every single time," said Georgia's Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin. "We only scored in three innings, but right after we did, they came right back to squash the momentum. You're just not going to win baseball games with the walks. We had some guys look good in their first inning and then not in their second. Bottom line, we have to have guys step up. For us to start winning games, we got to have guys step up. It's just been really disappointing."
Game three of the series will be Sunday at 2 p.m. ET (SECN+) and available on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bryce Cunningham (1-0)
L: Pearson, Will (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Anderson, Ben 1 ; Gonzalez, Fernando 1 ; Murillo, Sebastian 1
HR: Tate, Connor 1 ; Condon, Charlie 1
RBI: Anderson, Ben 1 ; Tate, Connor 4 ; Condon, Charlie 2 ; Murillo, Sebastian 1
SF: Condon, Charlie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Anderson, Ben 1 ; Tate, Connor 1 ; Condon, Charlie 1 ; David, Will 1 ; Gonzalez, Fernando 1 ; Murillo, Sebastian 2 ; Wagner, Cole 1
HBP: Anderson, Ben 1 ; Collins, Corey 1
Batting:
2B: Enrique Bradfield Jr 1 ; RJ Schreck 2 ; Chris Maldonado 2
HR: Enrique Bradfield Jr 1
RBI: Enrique Bradfield Jr 2 ; Davis Diaz 2 ; RJ Schreck 1 ; RJ Austin 1 ; Chris Maldonado 3 ; Parker Noland 1 ; Matthew Polk 3 ; Jonathan Vastine 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Enrique Bradfield Jr 1 ; Davis Diaz 1 ; RJ Schreck 2 ; Jack Bulger 1 ; RJ Austin 3 ; Chris Maldonado 3 ; Parker Noland 2 ; Matthew Polk 1 ; Calvin Hewett 1 ; Jonathan Vastine 1
SB: RJ Schreck 1 ; RJ Austin 1
CS: Davis Diaz 1
HBP: RJ Austin 1
