University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
28-9, 8-8
Ole Miss
20-17, 5-11
Georgia Slams Rebels 17-6
April 19, 2024 | Baseball
ATHENS, Ga. - Slate Alford's grand slam capped a career-high eight-RBI night as Georgia posted a 17-6 run-rule win in eight innings over Ole Miss Friday in front of a Foley Field crowd of 3,708.
Fast Facts
- Slate Alford (3-for-5, 2 HR, 8 RBI) hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, his third of the year, which ties the Georgia single-season record and gave the Bulldogs a school record nine grand slams on the year. The grand slam ended the game per the run-rule at 17-6 in the eighth inning.
- Catcher Fernando Gonzalez had a career-high four hit game, with a double, three singles, and three RBI.
- Corey Collins (1-for-3, 2 RBI) extended his on-base streak to 25 games and has a seven-game hitting streak.
- The Bulldogs (28-9, 8-8 SEC) scored eight runs in the third inning, which is the most they have scored in an inning against an SEC opponent this season. The inning included home runs by Kolby Branch and Alford.
- Every starter in the lineup had at least one hit and scored at least one run.
- Leighton Finley improved to 3-1, going five innings while graduate Brian Zeldin pitched the final three shutout innings for his fifth save.
Key Quotes
On his offensive production lately…
"Just trying to help the team. Ultimately if I can be a really good defensive catcher and if I can help the team with the bat as well, I think it's going to put me out there in the lineup and win some more games."
On this lineup being able to go one through nine…
"It's huge. Up and down, I've said it before but I think we're the best in the country. We just proved it again tonight."
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson
On Slate Alford's performance tonight…
"I can't say enough about Slate [Alford] and his work ethic and what he does everyday. This guy cares, obviously they all care, but he's taking countless swings. Slate and Coach Coggin were even in that cage again this morning early, and then before we took batting practice. He's been working extremely hard this week. I thought he had a good weekend last weekend if you go back and look. He's been putting in a lot of time and a lot of effort. As I've said a lot before, when guys are putting in that kind of time, work, and focus, and they go out and have success, it doesn't surprise me."
Up Next
Due to the high probability of inclement weather on Sunday, Georgia's Southeastern Conference baseball series with Ole Miss will now conclude Saturday with a doubleheader. Game one Saturday remains a 2 p.m. start, and the second game will follow 45 minutes later. Both games are scheduled for nine innings. Foley Field will be cleared between games. The doubleheader will be streamed on SECN+ and available on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Finley, Leighton (3-1)
L: Riley Maddox (2-5)
S: Zeldin, Brian (5)
Batting:
2B: Ethan Lege 1 ; Eli Berch 1
HR: Andrew Fischer 1 ; Will Furniss 1
RBI: Luke Hill 1 ; Andrew Fischer 1 ; Will Furniss 2 ; Eli Berch 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Andrew Fischer 1 ; Ethan Lege 1 ; Will Furniss 1 ; Jackson Ross 1 ; Campbell Smithwick 1 ; Eli Berch 1
PO: Luke Hill 1
Batting:
2B: Condon, Charlie 1 ; Chadwick, Clayton 1 ; Gonzalez, Fernando 1
HR: Alford, Slate 2 ; Branch, Kolby 1
RBI: Collins, Corey 3 ; Alford, Slate 8 ; Branch, Kolby 2 ; Gonzalez, Fernando 3
SH: King, Trey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Goldstein, Dylan 1 ; Stinson, Josh 1 ; Condon, Charlie 3 ; Collins, Corey 2 ; Alford, Slate 3 ; Branch, Kolby 1 ; Chadwick, Clayton 2 ; Toetz, Paul 1 ; King, Trey 1 ; Gonzalez, Fernando 2
SB: Toetz, Paul 1
HBP: Goldstein, Dylan 1 ; Condon, Charlie 1 ; Collins, Corey 1 ; Toetz, Paul 2
