ATHENS, Ga. — If you're looking for fireworks via home runs, get to Foley Field sometime soon.
Georgia (17-1) blasted four more home runs to raise their NCAA-leading total to 52 this season en route to a 10-5 win over Iowa on Tuesday at Foley Field.
“We had contributions from a lot of guys,” Georgia coach Wes Johnson said. “I haven’t counted it, but we had maybe 22 or 23 players that played tonight. I have been telling people that Lukas (Farris) is coming. He hit the ball over the batter’s eye tonight. Henry (Hunter), you could say, is the hardest worker we got. He is taking a million swings off the machines. For him to come in and have success tonight doesn’t surprise me. Obviously, Superman (Charlie Condon) gets the ball in the first. If he doesn’t homer, it’s news. Also, we had some big walks up and down the lineup too.”
Georgia took a 1-0 lead in the first, thanks to sophomore centerfielder Charlie Condon, who launched his national-leading 13th home run. He finished 2-fof-3 with two walks (one intentional) and was hit by a pitch. Condon owns an NCAA-leading .569 batting average and 1.308 slugging percentage this year.
In the second inning, Iowa senior catcher Davis Cop tied the contest with his second home run of the year.
Georgia reclaimed the lead with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the second, highlighted by solo home runs from sophomore first baseman Lukas Farris and junior catcher Henry Hunter (2-for-3, 3 RBI) that chased Hawkeye starter Elliot Cadieux-Lanoue. Farris’ blast went over the batter’s eye in centerfield and traveled 438 feet. He became the 13th different Bulldog to hit a home run this year.
Iowa (7-9) took advantage of a throwing error in the fourth to score an unearned run and close the gap to 5-2.
Sebastian Murillo (2-for-3) drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth to push Georgia’s lead to 6-2.
The Hawkeyes got the run back in the sixth on an RBI double by Reese Moore, making it 6-3.
Georgia pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth for a 7-3 lead.
Iowa made it a two-run game with a pair of runs in the seventh.
In Georgia’s half of the frame, the Bulldogs had two on and two out when Condon was intentionally walked. Gonzalez followed by drawing a bases-loaded walk for an 8-5 lead. Hunter blasted his second home run in the eighth for a 10-5 edge. It left the park with an exit velocity of 111 miles per hour and went 407 feet.
On a staff night, Georgia graduate Christian Mracna picked up a win to move to 2-0 as the Bulldogs used eight pitchers while the Hawkeyes employed 10. Zach DeVito, Brandt Pancer and Brian Zeldin all pitched a scoreless frame for the Bulldogs.
Georgia will begin Southeastern Conference action on the road Friday versus Kentucky. First pitch in Lexington will be at 6:30 p.m.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/3/1232326/college-baseball-georgia-blasts-four-hrs-downs-iowa-10-5