Fourth-ranked Georgia defeated Kentucky 7-3 here Thursday in front of a Kentucky Proud Park crowd of 3,292.
The Bulldogs improved to 22-4 overall and 6-1 in the SEC thanks in part to another strong outing by Georgia sophomore right-hander Emerson Hancock. He ran his record to 6-1 after going seven innings and allowing three runs (only two earned) on three hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Kentucky right-hander Jimmy Ramsey dropped to 2-2, allowing seven runs (only three earned) on seven hits in 4.2 innings.
The teams traded solo home runs to start the scoring. Graduate designated hitter John Cable (2-for-2, 2 RBI) put the Bulldogs in front in the second inning with his fourth home run of the year. Kentucky left fielder Breydon Daniel connected for his fifth home run to start the bottom of the third.
In the fourth, Georgia sent eight batters to the plate, scoring four runs on four hits including an RBI-double by Cable and a run-scoring triple by freshman catcher Shane Marshall. Redshirt freshman left fielder Connor Tate added a sacrifice fly and sophomore first baseman Chaney Rogers picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice. In the fifth, Georgia made it 7-1 as Tate delivered a sacrifice fly while senior LJ Talley notched an RBI on a Kentucky miscue at second base, allowing Riley King to score. Daniel added another solo home run in the fifth and the Wildcats got an unearned run in the seventh to close the gap to 7-3.
Georgia turned to junior left-hander Justin Glover and pitched the final two frames. The Wildcats (15-11, 0-7 SEC) employed seven pitchers on the night.
The series is scheduled to continue Friday at 6:30 p.m., however there is a possibility of the game moving to earlier in the day due to bad weather moving into the area Friday night. The game is slated to be streamed on SEC Network+ and the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
Dawg Tracks
- Sophomore RHP Emerson Hancock is now 6-1 on the year after going seven innings with eight strikeouts.
- After starting the first 25 games in right field, sophomore Riley King made his first career start in left field. Also, redshirt freshman Connor Tate made his first career start in right field after three starts at DH. Tate tied his career high with 2 RBI.
- Graduate John Cable connected for his fourth home run of the year for a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning. He finished 2-for-2, 2 RBI and 2 walks.
- For the 19th time this year, Georgia had an outburst of at least four runs or more in an inning.
Coach’s Corner
- Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin
On the win
“I thought Emerson (Hancock) was really good. Justin Glover was great, we needed that, throwing two innings and saving the rest of the bullpen Offensively, we got another early home run from John Cable and then in the fourth, we got a four-run inning, and I like four-run innings We had some guys come through, John (Cable) again in that inning with an RBI-double and Shane Marshall with an RBI-triple.”
On the defense
“We made a lot of really good plays on defense. Chaney Rogers in the ninth led off the inning with a great play. He’s been so good defensively over there. We miss Patrick Sullivan, he’s the best one I’ve ever had but Chaney Rogers has made some plays since he’s been out. It’s another example of guys stepping when they’re called upon. Connor Tate also did today as he got a couple of RBI and Shane Marshall with a triple and an RBI. It’s been fun to watch.”