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Baseball: Ten runs in the first inning powers Georgia’s run rule win over Northern Kentucky

Georgia made history by erupting for 10 runs in the first inning of an eventual 15-5 win over Northern Kentucky Friday at Foley Field that ended after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.

The Bulldogs (5-0) become the first team in Georgia history to start a season by scoring double-digit runs in each of its first five games. Georgia’s 10-run outburst was the most in a frame since scoring 16 runs in an inning at Auburn last year, and the most at home since a 10-spot against UMASS in 2020. 

“We were able to carry over some things we worked on from Tuesday to keep up with our gameplan,” said Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson. “We came in with a really good approach; we didn’t chase. Our game is a quick turnaround. You can’t celebrate this too long. You can celebrate until about midnight, and then we have to get right back at it. These guys are going to get back at it. Northern Kentucky showed at the end of today that they’ve got a little bit of fight in them. They’re not going to lay down and quit. They’re going to keep attacking and keep playing the game, so for us we’ve got to come out here and keep being consistent with our approach and make every play count.”

It was more than enough offense for graduate left-hander Charlie Goldstein who improved to 2-0 and tied his career high with seven strikeouts for the fourth time in his career. Goldstein allowed one run on three hits in five innings. NKU starter Tanner Gillis (0-1) went three innings before giving way to a trio of Norse relievers.

The first inning featured graduate Logan Jordan (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and sophomore Charlie Condon (2-for-5) recording a pair of hits while graduate Dillon Carter raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Graduate Dylan Goldstein finished the game with a team-best four RBI and three runs scored. Graduate Clayton Chadwick went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI. NKU got a couple of home runs from Jake Paulick and a solo shot by Mitch Wood to highlight the Norse offense.

“It feels good,” said Chadwick. “You just have to focus on winning the day, on winning the pitch. You can’t live in the past, like Coach Wes (Johnson) always says. We just have to look forward to every game and to accomplishing our goals every day.”

The series continues Saturday with first pitch set for 2:02 p.m. The game will be available on SECN+ and the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.

Highlights

Box Score

MBB: Georgia (15-11, 5-8 SEC) vs. No. 14/14 Auburn (20-6, 9-4 SEC) today at 6:00 at The Stege

Date: Saturday, February 24

Time: 6:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Stegeman Coliseum (10,523)

Location: Athens, Ga.

Series History: AU leads, 100-97

Last Meeting: AU, 94-72, on 2/1/23

TV: SEC Network (Roy Philpott, play-by-play; Joe Kleine, color analyst)

Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network – SiriusXM 389 (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, color analyst; Adam Gillespie, producer)

The Starting Five

• Georgia hosts No. 14 Auburn on Saturday in a “March Madness” heavy portion of the Bulldogs’ schedule. Five of UGA’s final seven opponents are featured in ESPN’s latest bracketology. 

• With Wednesday’s 76-64 win at Vanderbilt, Georgia improved to 25-1 when holding its opponents to less than 70 points during Mike White’s two seasons with the Bulldogs.

• Nine Bulldogs have been mixed and matched to comprise eight different starting lineups this season, including five variations in Georgia’s last seven outings.

• Silas Demary Jr. is the only freshman in the SEC start every game this season. The Raleigh, N.C., native averaged 8.5 ppg in non-conference play but has uppped that to 10.8 ppg in SEC action.

• Georgia entered this weekend No. 18 nationally in bench points, with UGA’s reserves contributing 29.1 ppg. The Bulldogs sport a bench scoring margin of +277 (+10.7 ppg).

The Opening Tip

Georgia returns to Stegeman Coliseum on Saturday evening to host No. 14 Auburn at 6:00 p.m. 

The Bulldogs are coming off an impressive 76-64 win over Vanderbilt on Wednesday night in Nashville. Georgia never trailed, racing to a 19-7 lead at the 12:29 mark of the first half and maintaining a double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest.

That victory snapped six-game overall and four-game road losing skids for the Bulldogs.

The 2023-24 campaign has been a streaky one for Georgia, which also recorded winning streaks of 10 games overall, 10 contests at Stegeman Coliseum and three road outings earlier this season.

Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Noah Thomasson enter Saturday’s game tied as the Bulldogs’ scoring leader on the season, with both scoring 330 points and averaging 12.7 ppg. RJ Melendez provides Georgia with a third double-digit scorer at 10.2 ppg.

Georgia has been more productive and balanced offensively in conference action. 

The Bulldogs are one of three teams with a higher scoring offense in SEC play over non-league games. Four Bulldogs are averaging double figures in conference games, with Thomasson sporting a team-leading 13.1 ppg. Five Bulldogs have upped their scoring averages from their non-conference contributions, topped by Russel Tchewa’s jump of 2.8 ppg (from 6.1 to 2.9).

Among UGA’s career leaders…

Jabri Abdur-Rahim is

• 7 3FGs from co-No. 13s Ty Wilson and Ray Harrison

• 8 3FGAs from No. 17 Ty Wilson

Series History With Auburn

In a closely contested rivalry that dates back well over a century, Auburn owns a slim 100-97 advantage in all-time matchups with Georgia.

Last season, the Bulldogs and Tigers split their matchups, with the home team winning each contest. On Jan. 4 in Athens, Terry Roberts poured in a career-high 26 points to lead Georgia in an impressive 76-64 victory over No. 22/20 Auburn in the Bulldogs’ SEC opener. Three and a half weeks later in Auburn, the Tigers secured a 92-73 win in the rematch.

Mardez McBride scored a season-high 20 points to lead Georgia offensively in the most recent matchup last Feb. 1. McBride notched his first 20-point performance as a Bulldogs and fifth of his collegiate career.

The Tigers broke the game open midway through the first half. After leading 16-14 at the 11:06 mark, Auburn went on a 17-0 run over the next 4:53.

Georgia’s win in Athens was the Bulldogs’ first in an SEC opener in five seasons, since defeating Auburn, 96-84, on Dec. 29, 2017. 

The Bulldogs led for 38:28 of the contest and trailed only once – at 24-23 – for all of 14 seconds. Roberts put up 13 points in each half, and Kario Oquendo added 17 points. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe fell just shy of a double-double, with nine points and nine boards.

Softball: Virginia Tech hands UGA its first loss, 5-4

The third-ranked Georgia softball team was dealt its first loss of the 2024 season on Friday, falling to No. 21 Virginia Tech, 5-4, at Jack Turner Stadium.

Georgia is now 9-1 on the season.

Sydney Chambley scattered two hits to lead the Bulldog offense in the game. Freshman Emily Digby knocked her first career home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sydney Kuma drove in two runs, a single in the fifth to put Georgia ahead.

Lilli Backes worked two innings in her start, allowing two runs on three hits. Shelby Walters (3-1) suffered the loss in the circle, allowing three runs on six hits.

The Hokies (10-2-1) jumped on the board with a solo home run in the first inning to go ahead 1-0. Another solo home run in the second inning widened the lead to 2-0.

Ellie Armistead used a double to the right-center gap in the home half of the second to drive in Chambley and cut the Hokie lead to 2-1.

With bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the fifth, Kuma singled through the left side of the infield to drive in two runs and go ahead 3-2 on Virginia Tech.

A two-out, two-RBI single in the top of the sixth put VT back in front, 4-3. The Hokies bolstered the lead with a solo home run in the top of the seventh, 5-3.

Digby led off the bottom of the inning with her first home run, cutting the lead to one, 5-4. A two-out walk to Lyndi Rae Davis put the tying run aboard, but was stranded to end the game, 5-4.

Georgia is back in action on day two of the Georgia Classic. The Dogs will take on Virginia Tech at 12:30 p.m. and then the Radford Highlanders at 3 p.m.

Box Score

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