Ninth-ranked Georgia defeated Kennesaw State 11-1 Wednesday at Foley Field to give Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin his 500th career victory.
The Bulldogs (7-1) capitalized on 10 walks and five KSU errors to notch their latest win. Four Georgia pitchers held the Owls to an unearned run on six hits while the Bulldogs provided stellar defense.
Sophomore left-hander C.J. Smith (1-0) tossed five shutout innings, allowing only three hits with four strikeouts. Seven different Bulldogs notched at least one RBI including LJ Talley and Mason Meadows who had two apiece. Junior third baseman Aaron Schunk collected his third three-hit game of the year.
Georgia led 6-0 until a five-run outburst in the eighth for the final. Justin Glover and Cole Wilcox combined for three scoreless frames and James Williams pitched the ninth. KSU fell to 4-3.
Dawg Tracks
- Head Coach Scott Stricklin earned his 500th career win.
- Junior Aaron Schunk recorded a three hit game for the third time this season.
- Georgia improved to 14-10 in its series against Kennesaw State.
Coach’s Corner
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin
On his 500th career win…
“Well, I have been surrounded by a lot of good coaches and people at Kent State and here at Georgia, and a lot of great players too. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been coaching that long. It’s thrilling to be able to get that and be able to celebrate with the guys, they got me pretty good with the water. The PowerAde showers and the water showers never get old I can tell you those are always welcome. Coach (Scott) Daeley has been with me every single one of those wins and Coach (Ryan) Gearhart has been there for a lot of them as well.”
On bouncing back after a 1-0 loss Tuesday
“We needed that. It was a long night, and it was a long day today. Last night’s loss was a tough one. We just did not play the way that we thought we should play, and we deserved to lose. LIU deserved to win that game. They beat us. They outplayed us, to be honest with you. So we challenged the guys to see how we could bounce back, and see what we’re made of playing a good Kennesaw State team, in state rival. We wanted to make sure our guys were ready to play, and they were. C.J. Smith set the tone. We got some big hits too.”
On upcoming road series with Georgia Southern…
“We expect a battle, it’s always a battle when you’re playing Georgia Southern. They’re really well coached. There’s a lot of really good players, and our players are familiar with their players. It’s a great rivalry. They’ll have a great crowd down there. I know we’ll have a lot of fans in the stands as well. It should be a lot of fun. It’s kind of an SEC primer to get you ready to go on the road in this league.”