After being swept by the current No.1 Texas Longhorns in Austin last weekend, the Bulldogs returned to Athens with a chance to get back on track. Former No. 1 Arkansas came into Foley Field with a record of 31-3. A dramatic series win including a walk-off home run from Henry Hunter in the bottom of the 12th inning Sunday afternoon propelled the Dawgs to 7-6 victories on Saturday and Sunday. 

The week began with a Tuesday night matchup with Presbyterian. Backed by an impressive pitching performance. Georgia slugged their way to a 16-2 win in just seven innings, led by Kolby Branch’s two homers and seven RBI.

Then loomed the No.1 Arkansas Razorbacks. The Diamond Dawgs struck first in the opening game on Friday night thanks to a two-run homer from Branch in the second inning, but a seven-run ninth inning from the Arkansas offense resulted in a 13-3 defeat. With another hot start from the Diamond Dawgs’ bats, Georgia won Saturday night’s game 7-6. Head coach Wes Johnson’s bullpen did just enough after giving up a combined three runs in the eighth and ninth inning. 

Sunday’s rubber match gave Bulldog Nation everything they could ask for. For the third straight game, Georgia put up early runs, this time thanks to another two-run homer from Branch to make the score 3-1. In the top of the ninth, Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick and Wehiwa Aloy hit solo home runs to tie the ball game at five apiece. The Razorbacks struck first in extra innings, taking a 6-5 lead into the bottom half of the 11th. Tre Phelps drove in Dan Jackson with a two-out double to keep the game alive for the Bulldogs. With a clean 12th inning from the Georgia pitching staff, Henry Hunter hit a solo-homer with two outs to send the Bulldogs bout with Arkansas in walk-off fashion. 

The SEC continues to show its toughness, as six of the top ten teams in the nation play in the league. However, Johnson’s Bulldogs continue to prove their resilience and ability to compete with anyone in the nation. 

The newly ranked No. 5 Bulldogs sit with a record of 32-6, which is the best start in program history after 38 games. In that record-breaking ratio, Georgia is 24-2 when playing at home, which shows how impactful the rowdy crowd in Foley Field and even up on Kudzu Hill are for this team’s hopes of Omaha. 

Up next, Georgia travels to Truist Park for a matchup with No. 14 Georgia Tech on Tuesday night, then up to Nashville this weekend for a three-game series against No. 19 Vanderbilt.