ATHENS, Ga. — After 16 years of waiting for their first Super Regional, the Georgia baseball team may have wished they had not gotten out of bed on Saturday.
The Bulldogs were bludgeoned early and often by NC State, 18-1, in the opening game of the two teams’ best-of-three Super Regional at Foley Field.
The two teams will meet at Foley Field on Sunday at noon with the Bulldogs needing a win to force a deciding third game on Monday.
Taking advantage of a beat-up Georgia pitching staff, the Wolfpack struck quickly and hard in the second inning, sending 15 men to the plate. Ten consecutive batters reached to open the inning, nine with hits, with Noah Soles ripping a three-run double and Eli Serrano following with a two-run homer for a 6-0 lead. Luke Nixon later doubled with the bases loaded again and Soles doubled for a second time for 5 RBI in the inning to highlight an 11-run outburst.
In the third, Jacob Cozart blasted a two-out home run to push NC State’s lead to 12-0.
Georgia never recovered. Sam Highfil was dominant on the mound for NC State, scattering four hits, three walks and just one run in six innings after throwing 111 pitches. Andrew Shaffner retired all nine batters he faced over the final three innings for the Wolfpack.
Georgia (42-16) got its only run in the fifth on a Corey Collins RBI single.
Bulldogs’ sophomore starting pitcher Kolten Smith was roughed up, lasting just one inning, surrendering 10 hits and 10 runs (eight earned). Junior Chandler Marsh came on in the second to try and stabilize things but allowed three runs on five hits, including a homer to Cozart, in four innings with Georgia trailing 13-0. Former Buford standout Jarvis Evans came on for 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (only one earned) on three hits.
Alec Makarewicz and Cozart both homered in the ninth for the Wolfpack (37-20) off reliever Max DeJong.
The Bulldogs vaunted offense managed just four hits on the day. Charlie Condon was 0-for-3 with one walk on the afternoon.
