2/24/18 4:30 pm

UGA Baseball pulls away in 8th inning in 6-4 Game #2 victory vs Charlotte

Photo: Cory A. Cole

By. Andrew Rodberg

If the saying, “If you don’t succeed, try and try again”, wasn’t the overall meaning to Game #1 of a Saturday double-header vs Charlotte, then I don’t know what is. After giving up a double to start the game, the Dawgs allowed the 49er’s to build a 1-0 lead right off the get go. With the 49er’s starting pitcher, Josh Maciejewski, shutting down UGA’s red-hot Keegan McGovern, the Dawgs needed someone else to step up and be the playmaker for the afternoon.

In the bottom of the 2nd, Ivan Johnson showed up and laced a double to left field and gave UGA their first runner in scoring position. Following a throwing error, the Dawgs were able to come away with 1 run and got Johnson to third. The next batter, Austin Biggar came to the plate and singled to center field to give the Dawgs a 2-1 lead but the afternoon would be far from over.

In the top of the 3rd, the 49er’s came storming back and scored 3 runs to push their lead to 4-2 courtesy of a walk, single, double and single that got UGA’s starting pitcher, Emerson Hancock flustered. The Dawgs were able to get 1 run back and make it a 4-3 game with a Ivan Johnson RBI ground out.

With the 49er’s pitcher throwing a dime, the Dawgs were held in check from innings 5-8 after leaving 3 base runners stranded in scoring position. Over time and as the game continued to progress, you could tell that the Dawgs were constantly in striking distance but just couldn’t get the one hit they needed to break open the scoring. That was until the bottom of the 8th when Keegan McGovern made sure he would make an impact in the game by forcing a walk and then stealing 2nd and 3rd to put himself in scoring position.

UGA DH Michael Curry came on and had the biggest hit of the game with a 2 run RBI double to give UGA a 5-4 lead. 1B Adam Sasser then followed it up with a ground-ball that was enough to bring home a runner and give him an RBI.

UGA’s RHP, Zac Kristofak, took over and slammed the door on Charlotte, to give the Dawgs a 6-4 victory and a 5-1 season record!

Looking ahead:

The Dawgs now look ahead to a 45 minute break before jumping back onto the field for the 2nd game of the double-header with hopes of getting their bats going early.

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