ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s bats enjoyed another productive day as the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader over Northern Colorado Saturday at Foley Field, winning 19-1 and 14-6.
The Bulldogs (15-1) hit seven home runs to raise their NCAA-leading total to 46 this season. Georgia hit for the home run cycle in the first contest that ended in seven innings due to the run rule.
In game one, Georgia was leading 1-0 when it exploded for eight runs on six hits in the second inning. The outburst included a three-run home run by junior Henry Hunter and a grand slam by senior Corey Collins (2-for-4, 6 RBI). It marked the fourth straight game that a Bulldog had connected for a grand slam. Then in the fifth with a 10-1 lead, Georgia erupted for nine runs including hitting four home runs in the frame, two by Slate Alford (3-for-5, 7 RBI) including a grand slam. Charlie Condon hit his team-leading 12th home run in the inning. The Bears pushed across their lone run on a sacrifice fly by Jake King in the fifth.
Georgia sophomore Leighton Finley pitched a career-long five innings to improve to 2-0. He allowed one unearned run with no walks and four strikeouts. Bears starter Kevin Sharp fell to 0-2, allowing nine runs on six hits in the first 1.1 innings.
In game two, Georgia’s offense produced another fast start, scoring seven runs in the first. Senior Fernando Gonzalez got the inning going with a two-run double, Kolby Branch and Clayton Chadwick extended the lead to 5-0 and senior Sebastian Murillo capped the scoring with a two-run home run. The Bears (0-15) got a solo home run from Garret Fisher in the top of the second only to see Georgia answer with a four-spot to extend its lead to 11-1. Paul Toetz and Gonzalez had back-to-back run-scoring doubles while Chadwick and Murillo collected another RBI on the day. The Bears would push across single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings to close the gap to 11-4. Collins drew four walks in game two.
“I’ve just been taking them (walks) all season,” said Collins. “I’m just taking what they give me. I was glad to get some pitches in the first game. I’m trying a new approach and sticking to it.”
In the eighth, Northern Colorado made it 11-6 but Georgia answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame to push its lead to the eventual final of 14-6. In a staff afternoon on the mound, graduate Daniel Padysak notched the win for his first as a Bulldog. He went three innings while six Bulldogs followed with an inning apiece. DJ Radtke collected three strikeouts in the seventh as one of three Bulldog relievers to toss a shutout frame.
“If you can get a doubleheader on your schedule before your start conference play, you can see how your guys respond,” said Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson. “You can see how their focus level is because in my years in the SEC, we’ve had to play a doubleheader in conference play at least one weekend.”
The series concludes Sunday with first pitch slated for 1:02 p.m.
