ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia's 16-hit attack featured six home runs as it clinched a series over UNC Asheville with a 17-5 win in eight innings Saturday at Foley Field.
Junior Slate Alford provided the final Bulldog home run, a three-run blast to end the contest due to the 10-run rule. Graduate Logan Jordan smashed a pair of solo home runs while senior Fernando Gonzalez (3-for-5, 2 RBI) and graduate Dylan Goldstein (3-for-4, 5 RBI) homered for the second straight day. The first round-tripper came from graduate Dillon Carter in the second inning to put Georgia in front 4-0. The Bulldogs made Asheville starter Justin Honeycutt (0-1) work from the onset as he needed 45 pitches to get through the first. Georgia (2-0) built a 3-0 lead courtesy of an RBI-single by sophomore Kolby Branch followed by a two-run single by graduate Paul Toetz in his first Bulldog at bat.
Graduate right-hander Christian Mracna (1-0) went the first four innings for the win, allowing a run on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts. When he left, Georgia had built an 9-1 advantage. Relief pitchers Brian Zeldin, Blake Gillespie, Max DeJong, Brandt Pancer and Chandler Marsh took care of the rest of the game. Marsh struck out the side in his 2024 debut.
"We all started playing this game in our youth, and it was fun, and that's what we want to get back to," said Georgia's Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson. "We have to be serious, but this is a fun game, and we want our guys to continue to feel that."
Asheville (0-2) got another home run from centerfielder Robbie Burnett, his second of the series, which cut the deficit to 9-2. Asheville plated a pair of runs in the seventh to make 10-5 before Georgia responded with four runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth for the final.
"We have a lot of talent on the bench and on the field," said Jordan. "Our main goal is to get the ball over the fence, and we have a chance to do that a lot this year. It's something we preach as much as can; crush the ball as hard as we can."
The series concludes Sunday with first pitch slated for 1:02 p.m.
