ATLANTA — In the most-attended college baseball game of 2019, fourth-ranked Georgia fell, 8-6, to11th-ranked Georgia Tech Tuesday.
A season-high crowd of 18,861 filed into SunTrust Park to watch the series finale between the Bulldogs (33-9) and Yellow Jackets (28-13). Junior RHP Logan Moody turned in three innings of scoreless relief to close out the game, but Georgia could not regain the lead.
“He gave us a chance to win,” Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin said. “But when you get behind the eight ball as we did early, it’s tough to claw back. We did, we made it and we had our chances, but didn’t get it done.”
Georgia Tech registered a run in the first, but the Bulldogs answered back. Senior LJ Talley earned a walk, then graduate John Cable smashed a two-run home run towards the Chop House in right field for a 2-1 lead.
Though the Yellow Jackets surmounted a 7-2 lead in the third, Georgia rallied back once again in the fourth. Junior Aaron Schunk initiated a three-run inning with a leadoff homer to left field. The Bulldogs scored their next two runs on wild pitches by GT’s Jake Lee, making it 7-5.
The Georgia offense continued to produce runs despite trailing. In the sixth inning, Junior Tucker Maxwell drilled a hard-hit ball to right field for his team-leading ninth home run of the season, bringing the score to 8-6.
Moody entered in the sixth, striking out the side. He made quick work in the seventh inning going 1-2-3 and then closed out the eighth with a strikeout, a walk and an error. The Bulldogs put on one in the seventh and two in the eighth, but ultimately could not rally back and dropped an 8-6 final.
DAWG TRACKS
-- Junior Aaron Schunk lasered a home run to left field in his second at-bat during the fourth inning. The HR marked his seventh this season and his second at SunTrust Park. Last season, Schunk drew first blood in the rubber match between the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets, homering to center field and spurring Georgia towards a 3-1 victory.
-- In his first appearance since throwing a career-high eight strikeouts in four of the 20 innings vs. No. 24 Clemson, RHP Logan Moody entered in the sixth inning and struck out the side. He retired six of the next eight batters that he faced. Moody’s performance capped off a stellar night from the bullpen, which allowed just two scores after a five-run inning in the second.
-- Graduate John Cable knocked his fifth home run of the year to right field in the second inning. Cable now owns 27 runs batted on the season, with 13 of those coming off home run shots.
Coach's Corner
NEXT UP
The Bulldogs (33-9, 13-5 SEC) travel to Starkville, Mississippi, in a top-10 matchup with No. 9 Mississippi State. First pitch in Friday’s series opener is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET.
