University of Georgia Athletics
Pitching, Defense Shine In Win Over Flames
May 30, 2026 | Baseball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
In the NCAA tournament, finding a way to advance is all that matters. If you can do it by scoring a dozen or more runs, great. If you can do it by scoring a few while also getting excellent pitching and defense, that's also great.
The third-seeded Georgia baseball team did a bit of both on Saturday.
In the morning, the Bulldogs wrapped up their Athens Regional opener against Long Island — a game suspended Friday night due to heavy rain — and finished the 18-2 rout with nine home runs, 20 hits, and only two hits allowed. In Saturday's nightcap against Liberty, half of Georgia's 10 hits were home runs, four of them solo shots, and the pitching and defense held the Flames to three hits in a 6-2 win.
That's 24 runs scored through two games in the regional, and only five hits and four runs allowed. The homers get the most attention, and for good reason, given that Georgia now has an NCAA-leading 163 this season, but don't sleep on how the Bulldogs have performed with gloves in their hands instead of bats.
On the mound Friday, pitcher Joey Volchko threw six hitless innings, striking out 10, and teammates Teddy Brennan, Dylan Wood and Luke Wiltrakis pitched the final three innings against Long Island on Saturday morning.
Against Liberty, a team that has 42 wins this season, Georgia relief pitchers Matt Scott and Justin Byrd combined to allow one hit and no runs in 7.2 innings. And shortstop Kolby Branch made multiple standout plays in the field.
In the fourth, Branch, a second-team All-SEC selection, charged a ground ball and made a great scoop and throw to Brennan Hudson at first for the final out of the inning. One inning later, with one runner on base and Georgia ahead 4-2, the senior ranged far to his right to collect a ground ball and fired a long throw to first for the second out. Two batters later, with runners on first and second, he again roamed far to his right and threw a heater to Hudson to end the inning.
And Branch wasn't done. In the seventh, with Georgia leading 5-2 and Liberty at bat with the bases loaded and two away, Branch pulled in a high chopper and made an excellent throw to first to end the threat.
Georgia needed outstanding pitching and defense against the Flames, who held the Bulldogs more than three runs below their season average of 9.5 runs per game.
It looked like another offensive barrage was coming after SEC Player of the Year Daniel Jackson belted a two-run homer — his 29th blast of the season — with nobody out in the top of the first. But those were Georgia's only runs in the frame.
The Flames, who were the home team and batted in the bottom of the inning, answered against Georgia starter Dylan Vigue. Tanner Marsh led off with a single, later stole second, and then scored on a Jordan Jaffe single to center, cutting the Bulldog lead to 2-1. Liberty tied the game soon after on a throwing error to first base, Georgia's only defensive miscue in the game.
Georgia loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second but came away empty. Liberty also threatened in the second, and Vigue was replaced by Scott with two on and one away, but the Bulldogs got out of the jam.
Georgia regained the lead in the third on a Kenny Ishikawa solo shot to right field, which was followed by a Ryan Wynn 426-foot blast into the trees in center, making it 4-2 Bulldogs. In two NCAA tourney games, Wynn has five hits, two home runs, five runs batted in, and he's scored five times.
After a couple of quiet innings offensively, Lujo brought the Bulldog punch back with a solo homer off of reliever Josh Swink in the top of the sixth. That pushed Georgia's lead to 5-2, and Scott did his part to keep the Bulldogs in front in the bottom of the inning. Scott struck out the first two batters he faced, and the third lined out to Hudson at first.
In the bottom of the seventh, after Scott gave up a one-out walk and a single, Byrd took over on the mound. He walked Marsh on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, and then threw two balls to Riley DeCandido, which prompted Jackson, Georgia's catcher, to pay Byrd a quick visit. After their chat, Byrd struck out DeCandido and then got Jordan Jaffe to hit the ground ball to Branch for the third out.
In the ninth, Hudson, who is also having a huge regional at the plate, belted a solo homer to left field to make it 6-2. In two games, Hudson has five hits, three home runs, three RBIs, and four runs scored.
Byrd closed out the win in the bottom of the inning with a strikeout, a pop-up, and one more strikeout. Georgia pitchers combined for nine strikeouts, three hits, and one earned run. They walked seven, but the defense behind them helped hold the Flames to just those two first-inning runs.
With the win, Georgia will move on in the winner's bracket to Sunday's potential deciding matchup. The noon game Sunday will be between Boston College and Liberty, with the winner of that one advancing to face the Bulldogs at 5 p.m. If Georgia wins the late game Sunday, it moves on to next week's Super Regional at Foley Field. If the winner of the Boston College/Liberty game beats the Bulldogs, the teams will meet again on Monday to decide the regional winner.
Staff Writer
In the NCAA tournament, finding a way to advance is all that matters. If you can do it by scoring a dozen or more runs, great. If you can do it by scoring a few while also getting excellent pitching and defense, that's also great.
The third-seeded Georgia baseball team did a bit of both on Saturday.
In the morning, the Bulldogs wrapped up their Athens Regional opener against Long Island — a game suspended Friday night due to heavy rain — and finished the 18-2 rout with nine home runs, 20 hits, and only two hits allowed. In Saturday's nightcap against Liberty, half of Georgia's 10 hits were home runs, four of them solo shots, and the pitching and defense held the Flames to three hits in a 6-2 win.
That's 24 runs scored through two games in the regional, and only five hits and four runs allowed. The homers get the most attention, and for good reason, given that Georgia now has an NCAA-leading 163 this season, but don't sleep on how the Bulldogs have performed with gloves in their hands instead of bats.
On the mound Friday, pitcher Joey Volchko threw six hitless innings, striking out 10, and teammates Teddy Brennan, Dylan Wood and Luke Wiltrakis pitched the final three innings against Long Island on Saturday morning.
Against Liberty, a team that has 42 wins this season, Georgia relief pitchers Matt Scott and Justin Byrd combined to allow one hit and no runs in 7.2 innings. And shortstop Kolby Branch made multiple standout plays in the field.
In the fourth, Branch, a second-team All-SEC selection, charged a ground ball and made a great scoop and throw to Brennan Hudson at first for the final out of the inning. One inning later, with one runner on base and Georgia ahead 4-2, the senior ranged far to his right to collect a ground ball and fired a long throw to first for the second out. Two batters later, with runners on first and second, he again roamed far to his right and threw a heater to Hudson to end the inning.
And Branch wasn't done. In the seventh, with Georgia leading 5-2 and Liberty at bat with the bases loaded and two away, Branch pulled in a high chopper and made an excellent throw to first to end the threat.
Georgia needed outstanding pitching and defense against the Flames, who held the Bulldogs more than three runs below their season average of 9.5 runs per game.
It looked like another offensive barrage was coming after SEC Player of the Year Daniel Jackson belted a two-run homer — his 29th blast of the season — with nobody out in the top of the first. But those were Georgia's only runs in the frame.
The Flames, who were the home team and batted in the bottom of the inning, answered against Georgia starter Dylan Vigue. Tanner Marsh led off with a single, later stole second, and then scored on a Jordan Jaffe single to center, cutting the Bulldog lead to 2-1. Liberty tied the game soon after on a throwing error to first base, Georgia's only defensive miscue in the game.
Georgia loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the second but came away empty. Liberty also threatened in the second, and Vigue was replaced by Scott with two on and one away, but the Bulldogs got out of the jam.
Georgia regained the lead in the third on a Kenny Ishikawa solo shot to right field, which was followed by a Ryan Wynn 426-foot blast into the trees in center, making it 4-2 Bulldogs. In two NCAA tourney games, Wynn has five hits, two home runs, five runs batted in, and he's scored five times.
After a couple of quiet innings offensively, Lujo brought the Bulldog punch back with a solo homer off of reliever Josh Swink in the top of the sixth. That pushed Georgia's lead to 5-2, and Scott did his part to keep the Bulldogs in front in the bottom of the inning. Scott struck out the first two batters he faced, and the third lined out to Hudson at first.
In the bottom of the seventh, after Scott gave up a one-out walk and a single, Byrd took over on the mound. He walked Marsh on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, and then threw two balls to Riley DeCandido, which prompted Jackson, Georgia's catcher, to pay Byrd a quick visit. After their chat, Byrd struck out DeCandido and then got Jordan Jaffe to hit the ground ball to Branch for the third out.
In the ninth, Hudson, who is also having a huge regional at the plate, belted a solo homer to left field to make it 6-2. In two games, Hudson has five hits, three home runs, three RBIs, and four runs scored.
Byrd closed out the win in the bottom of the inning with a strikeout, a pop-up, and one more strikeout. Georgia pitchers combined for nine strikeouts, three hits, and one earned run. They walked seven, but the defense behind them helped hold the Flames to just those two first-inning runs.
With the win, Georgia will move on in the winner's bracket to Sunday's potential deciding matchup. The noon game Sunday will be between Boston College and Liberty, with the winner of that one advancing to face the Bulldogs at 5 p.m. If Georgia wins the late game Sunday, it moves on to next week's Super Regional at Foley Field. If the winner of the Boston College/Liberty game beats the Bulldogs, the teams will meet again on Monday to decide the regional winner.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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