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BSB: Georgia gets comeback win vs. Tech at Coolray Field

Georgia erased a 9-3 deficit to rally past Georgia Tech 11-9 Sunday in the 21^st annual Spring Baseball Classic at Coolray Field in front of a crowd of 8,163.

The Bulldogs (10-1) clinched the series after winning 3-1 in Athens on Saturday. Friday’s game in Atlanta was suspended due to rain going to the bottom of the fifth with the Bulldogs leading 9-3. A date to finish that game has not been determined by Tech.

On Sunday, Tech (7-3) jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the third, taking advantage of a one-out error, a wild pitch plus a pair of hits including a two-run home run by Matthew Ellis. In the fourth, a two-out, run-scoring single by Mike Becchetti made it 5-0.

Georgia cut it to 5-2 in the fifth thanks to a two-run home run by sophomore Kolby Branch. It was his third of the year and came with Fernando Gonzalez on after getting hit by a pitch. Earlier in the contest. Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to a career-best eight games with a base hit. Sophomore Charlie Condon blasted his team-leading eighth home run to start the sixth to close the deficit to 6-3. However, Tech sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame, scoring three runs on two hits, three walks, an error and a wild pitch to push the lead out to 9-3.

The Bulldogs made it a one-run contest in the seventh, scoring five runs on four hits to make it 9-8. Condon and Sebastian Murillo notched run-scoring singles while Clayton Chadwick cleared the bases with a three-run double to highlight the outburst.

Trailing 9-8 in the ninth, the Bulldogs responded with a three-run rally to surge ahead 11-9. Corey Collins led off with a walk after falling behind 0-2 in the count. Chadwick did the same. Graduate Josh Stinson reached on a fielder’s choice as Tech retired Chadwick at second as pinch-runner Trey King advanced to third. Murillo tied the game with a sacrifice fly on an 0-2 count. Gonzalez put the Bulldogs in front with a run-scoring double, scoring Stinson. On Saturday, he smashed a solo home run to give the Bulldogs the go-ahead run. Then to cap Sunday’s rally, Branch lined a ball off reliever Mason Patel for an RBI-single, bringing pinch-runner Henry Hunter home.

In the bottom of the ninth, graduate Brian Zeldin collected his second save in the series with a pair of strikeouts

“Early in the game we weren’t playing well, and I called everybody up and said we need to start competing better,” said Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson. “We have to believe in ourselves. We have to start throwing strikes, We have to have better at bats, and that that’s what we did. “In the ninth, we were going to stay aggressive. We worked hard in the fall and preseason, and I believed in Josh (Stinson) to move the runners without bunting. I believed in Sebastian to get the run in, and they delivered. Then, Kolby (Branch) hits a rocket off the pitcher for the final run. Luke Wiltrakis came in and threw strikes. Josh Roberge did the same and Brian Zeldin finished it for us again. I’m proud of all the guys. This game is hard, and you have to play for all 27 outs.”

Roberge moved to 2-0 while Zeldin picked up his third save of the season. Camron Jones fell to 1-1.

Up next, the Bulldogs face Georgia Southern Tuesday at SRP Park in North Augusta, S.C. First pitch will be at 6:35 p.m. and be available on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.

SB: UGA falls to Stanford in nine innings

 Junior Lilli Backes pitched a career game in the circle for the fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in Sunday’s 3-1, nine-inning loss to No. 11/10 Stanford.

Backes (5-1) pitched a career-long eight innings, tying a career-best 10 strikeouts while walking no Cardinal batters.

Lyndi Rae Davis and Sara Mosley were the lone Bulldogs to pick up a hit in the game. Davis’ hit was a game-tying solo home run in the top of the seventh to give the Dogs (15-3) new life.

After just one combined hit through four and a half innings, Stanford (13-4) broke through the scoreless draw with a one-out home run in the bottom of the fourth to go ahead 1-0.

Down to the Dogs’ final three outs, Davis sent the first pitch of the seventh inning over the wall in left to tie the game and keep the Dogs alive, 1-1.

Backes retired the Cardinal batters in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the game into extra innings.

Sydney Kuma found her way into scoring position in the top of the ninth but was left stranded.

A leadoff triple put the winning run aboard in the bottom of the ninth. Ava Gall hit a two-run home run to right center, lifting the Cardinal to the 3-1 victory.

Georgia returns to Athens to host the Bulldog Classic next weekend. Miami (Ohio), Jacksonville State, and Furman will travel to Athens for the 10-game tournament beginning Friday at Jack Turner Stadium.

No. 11 UGA sweeps No. 43 Arkansas 4-0

The No. 11 Georgia women’s tennis team capped off its first weekend of Southeastern Conference action with its second sweep in three days, as it defeated No. 43 Arkansas 4-0 at the Billingsley Tennis Center on Sunday.

The victory extends the Bulldogs’ (7-3, 2-0 SEC) winning streak to five matches, now improving to 35-3 all-time against the Razorbacks (7-5, 0-2 SEC) and winning each of the last 16 meetings between both programs.

“It was a good weekend for our team here in Missouri and Arkansas,” said head coach Drake Bernstein. “We had a clean performance today in some tough, windy conditions, putting solid performances in across the board.”

Opening the day with doubles, Georgiatook the early lead by securing the doubles point in its sixth-consecutive match.

The No. 23 tandem of Mai Nirundorn and Guillermina Grant struck first as the duo made quick work on court two, defeating Lenka Stara and Grace O’Donnell (Arkansas) 6-1. The win extends the duo’s winning streak to six matches.

On court one, the No. 22 duo of Aysegul Mert and Dasha Vidmanova jumped out to a flying start as they led 5-0 early in the match. Despite a late surge from the opposition, Mert and Vidmanova held on to close out Morgan Cross and Anet Koskel (Arkansas) by a score of 6-3 to secure the doubles point for the Bulldogs.

Moving on to singles play, Georgia remained on the front foot early as it took five first sets across six courts.

On court three, No. 95 Anastasiia Lopata was dominant from start to finish. The Kiev, Ukraine-native recorded a bagel in the first set and showed quickness down the stretch en route to a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Lenka Stara (Arkansas).

Coming off a win in her dual singles debut at Missouri on Friday, Mert shined bright in her second-straight appearance in the lineup as she made quick work of Kacie Harvey (Arkansas) for a 6-3, 6-2 win on court five.

Three Bulldogs came within two games of securing the clincher, but it was No. 48 Alexandra Vecic who came through for the win on court two. After trailing 4-1 in the first set, Vecic came back to win a tiebreaker in the first followed by a strong second set to defeat Kelly Keller (Arkansas) 7-6(1), 6-2.

Georgia’s next action will see it return on the road for two matches on the East Coast, where it will face No. 19 Florida on Friday, Mar. 8 at 5 p.m. ET in Gainesville, Fla. followed by No. 14 South Carolina on Sunday, Mar. 10 at 1 p.m. ET in Columbia, S.C. The Bulldogs will compete against both the Gators and Gamecocks for a second time this season, previously knocking off South Carolina 4-1 in the ITA Kickoff Championship match while defeating Florida 4-1 in the first consolation round at the ITA DI Women’s National Team Indoor Championships.

Singles Results

No. 34 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) vs No. 88 Carolina Gomez (ARK), 6-3, 4-5 (unfinished)

No. 48 Alexandra Vecic (UGA) def. Kelly Keller (ARK), 7-6 (7-1), 6-2

No. 95 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) def. Lenka Stara (ARK), 6-0, 6-2

Guillermina Grant (UGA) vs Morgan Cross (ARK), 5-7, 5-3 (unfinished)

Aysegul Mert (UGA) def. Kacie Harvey (ARK), 6-3, 6-2

No. 89 Mai Nirundorn (UGA) vs Anet Koskel (ARK), 6-4, 5-3 (unfinished)

Doubles Results

No. 22 Aysegul Mert/Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) def. Morgan Cross/Anet Koskel (ARK), 6-3

No. 23 Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) def. Lenka Stara/Grace O’Donnell (ARK), 6-1

Mell Reasco/Alexandra Vecic (UGA) vs Kelly Keller/Carolina Gomez (ARK), 4-5 (unfinished)

Match Notes

No. 11 Georgia (7-3, 2-0 SEC)

No. 43 Arkansas (7-5, 0-2 SEC)

Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,5,2)

WBB: Vandy wins 55-72 in Nashville

The Georgia women’s basketball team lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores, 72-55, Sunday afternoon in the regular season finale at Memorial Gymnasium. 

Fifth-year senior forward Javyn Nicholson scored in double figures for the 28th time in 29 games to lead Georgia with 14 points and nine rebounds. 

Georgia (12-17, 3-13) will now await its SEC tournament seeding. The Lady Bulldogs open the conference tournament on Wednesday. Vanderbilt improves to 22-8 overall and 9-7 in league play. 

Georgia was down 13-2 early, but a Jordan Cole basket jump-started a four-point spurt for the Lady Bulldogs, who trailed 17-10 at the end of the first quarter. 

Chloe Chapman came off the bench and scored six points to help Georgia cut the lead to just three at 19-16 with 6:20 left in the second period. From there, the Commodores went on an 8-0 run as Georgia missed its final 10 shots in the period and trailed 30-18 at the half. Chapman led the Lady Bulldogs with eight first-half points. 

Georgia kept fighting and got within four late in the third quarter at 47-43. An intentional foul against Nicholson gave Vanderbilt a four-point trip down the floor, and Georgia never inched closer. 

The Lady Bulldogs outshot the Commodores 40 to 38 percent, but could not overcome 19 turnovers in the loss. 

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