5/5/19
HOW SWEEP IT IS: #9 Georgia Sweeps Florida in Weekend Series
Cover Photo: @baseballuga
By. Andrew Rodberg (twitter/www.twitter.com/404thebeat)
ATHENS, Georgia — Following a rough week, where the Dawgs dropped 4 straight games (1 to GT and 3 to Miss St) they returned back home to Athens for a weekend series with the Florida Gators. Previously, for the past 6 years, the Dawgs have been unable to win a series against the Gators. With that being said, this week was the moment to step up and change the narrative.
In Game #1 (Friday night) the Dawgs sent out Tony Locey to face the Gators’ Tommy Mace. In doing so, the Dawgs struck first with a solo homer by Tucker Maxwell and a Cam Shepherd groundout in the bottom half of the 1st inning to put the Dawgs up 2-0. The Gators answered with a run of their own off an error by Patrick Sullivan. The Dawgs extended their lead in the fourth with a 3-run inning courtesy of singles by John Cable and Chaney Rogers and a sacrifice fly by Cam Shepherd. Locey continued to dominate as he worked 6 innings, struck out 6 batters and allowed 2 earned runs on his way to an 8th win. The Dawgs went on to win Game #1 6-4.
Game #2 set for Saturday night was delayed and later postponed after thunderstorms in the area looked to make an appearance. The Dawgs would later announce that they would have a doubleheader on Sunday starting at 12:30. With the doubleheader in effect, the games were cut down to 7 innings opposed to the normal 9 innings.
Game #2 would be Georgia’s Tim Elliott’s to manage. Elliott looked to face Florida’s Jack Leftwich. As the first pitch got underway, both looked to control the strike-zone as they worked clean 1st and 2nd innings. A lot like Game #1, the Dawgs got on the scoreboard first and wouldn’t give up the lead. In the bottom of the third, the Dawgs were able to score 5 runs behind a Riley King double, LJ Talley single and a Cam Shepherd 2-run home run to give the Dawgs a 5-0 lead. Elliott dazzled as he worked 5 innings while his only blemish was a solo homer given up in the fourth inning. Elliott was able to secure his 6th win of the season while striking out 3 and giving up 1 earned run. With the win, the Dawgs were able to secure their first series win vs Florida in 6 years in a 9-1 victory.
Game #3 was about pride and wanting to sweep the Gators. The Dawgs turned to Cole Wilcox to face Florida’s Nolan Crisp. With the Dawgs bats heating up, Riley King got the evening started with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the first. More bats came alive for the Dawgs in the third as John Cable drove in a run with a RBI groundout and Chaney Rogers slashed a double to right field. Those two plays pushed the Dawgs to a 3-0 lead as Wilcox began to roll. Wilcox went through the Gators order absolutely clean for the first 5 innings but gave up a solo home run to Florida’s hot hitter Brady McConnell(who hit his second hr of the series) in the sixth inning. Wilcox knowing he only had one more inning remaining, decided he was going to finish it out himself as he sat down the Gators in order with two strikeouts and a groundout to give the Dawgs the 4-1 victory and the series sweep. Wilcox ended his outing with 7 innings, 1 earned run and 7 strikeouts.
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