Under clear skies and mid-60 degree weather, the Georgia baseball team piled on runs in the Sunday doubleheader, winning 13-5 and 12-5 to complete the sweep of UMass Lowell at Foley Field. 

An eight-run first inning in game one put the Bulldogs on cruise control to seal the series with a 13-5 victory in a seven-inning affair that started at 11 a.m.

The River Hawks struck first in game two with a solo blast in the first half inning, however one of Georgia’s six total home runs in the game followed in the bottom half and the Bulldogs did not trail after that.

Georgia (6-0) has swept each of its opening series, marking the best start for the Bulldogs since 2012. UMass Lowell fell to 0-7 on the season.

Four Bulldogs tallied four hits on the day to lead the Georgia bats. Junior shortstop Cam Shepherd (4-9) accumulated four RBI, three runs, a home run, a triple, a walk, and a stolen base. Sophomore right fielder Riley King (4-7) continued his hot bat, totaling a team-high five RBI, three runs, two doubles and a home run. Junior third baseman Aaron Schunk (4-7, 3 RBI, BB) crossed the plate a team-high six times and had a two-homer day. Lastly, senior second baseman LJ Talley (4-6) drew a team-high three walks to go along with four runs, three RBI and a home run.

Both Georgia starting pitchers notched wins with junior righty Will Proctor (2-0) taking game one on four innings of work, while fellow junior righty Tony Locey (2-0) struck out 10 batters for his second-straight start in game two.

In game one, Shepherd led off the bottom half of the opening frame with his first triple of the season and was plated in the next at-bat on King’s first-career double. Another individual season-first followed as Schunk sent a pitch over the left-field fence for a two-run home run.

The UMass Lowell starter proceeded to walk five of the next six batters and throw a wild pitch to bring in two runs, which caused the River Hawks to dip into the bullpen early. Then with the top of the order back up, Shepherd hit a two-run single and King followed with another run-scoring double to give Georgia the sizable 8-0 lead.

Later in the seven-inning first game, LJ Talley had a RBI single, King recorded his third RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly, Shane Marshall added a two-run double, and lastly C.J. Smith got his first hit of the year – a home run.

In game two, Riley answered the River Hawks’ first inning solo homer with a two-run blast for the Georgia lead. The Bulldogs broke game open in the bottom of the third inning when graduate transfer designated hitter John Cable recorded his first Georgia hit in a big way – a grand slam.

Both teams traded 2-run frames in the fifth inning. For Georgia, Talley drilled a two-run home run over the right-center field wall.

Georgia stretched its lead to 9-3 in the sixth off the bat and legs of Tucker Maxwell who recorded the Bulldogs’ first inside-the-park home run since Bobby Felmy in 2006.

Schunk and Shepherd added home runs five and six on the game for additional runs late.

Dawg Tracks 
 

-Sophomore RF Riley King recorded his first career double of the season in his first plate appearance in game one and a home run in his first AB of game two, which extended his streak of hitting safely to all six games this season. 

-Junior SS Cam Shepherd led off game one with his first triple of the season and fifth in his career. In game two, he hit a leadoff single, extending his streak of hitting safely to five games.

-Junior 3B Aaron Schunk hit his first home run of the season and fifth all-time.

-Sophomore LF C.J. Smith hit an opposite field solo blast in game one for his first homer of the season and second in his career.

-Through the first six games this season, Georgia has 11 home runs from eight different players. Last season in the same span, the Bulldogs had four homers. In game two today, Georgia had five homers after entering the game with five total home runs.
-The 6-0 start is the best under Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Scott Stricklin. The last time Georgia was 6-0 was in 2012 under David Perno – a team that started 8-0.