The Georgia Bulldogs baseball team defeated the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks by a score of 11-2 in the second round of the Athens Regional.

Batting in the leadoff spot, Corey Collins launched a home run over the right field scoreboard to quickly make the score 1-0 UGA after the first inning.

Seahawk centerfielder Trevor Marsh was quick to respond in the top of the second with a solo homer of his own, tying the game at 1-1. The next two batters reached, but Georgia starting pitcher Kolten Smith struck out three in a row to keep the game tied.

In the bottom of the second inning, Tre Phelps hit a leadoff single, followed by Dillon Carter and Clayton Chadwick both reaching to load the bases with one out. Kolby Branch stepped up in the big moment, hitting a grand slam to give the Diamond Dawgs a 5-1 lead and the momentum. This was Branch’s fourth grand slam of the season, breaking the single season record for Georgia baseball.

After striking out the first two batters in the fourth, Smith allowed a single and two walks to load the bases for the Seahawks. Third baseman Jac Croom fouled out after a terrific catch against the fence by Charlie Condon, ending the scoring threat.

Dylan Goldstein added to the Bulldogs’ lead with a sacrifice fly after Case Stroup loaded the bases with three hit batters, extending Georgia’s lead to 6-1 after four innings.

Coming in to relieve Smith, DJ Radtke gave up a one-out walk to load the bases in the top of the fifth. With two outs, left fielder Brock Wills hit an infield single to score a run and cut the deficit to 6-2.

With two on and two out, Branch hit a ground ball to third that looked to be the third out, but Croom threw the ball past first base allowing Chadwick and Carter to score the seventh and eighth runs for Georgia in the fifth inning.

Chadwick singled in the bottom of the seventh and scored on a wild pitch from Mason Murdock to make the score 9-2.

The Diamond Dawgs added on two more runs in the eighth after a bases loaded walk from Fernando Gonzalez and Chadwick was hit by a pitch.

Led by Josh Roberge, the Diamond Dawgs bullpen was able to hold UNC-Wilmington off the scoreboard after the fifth inning, allowing just three hits the rest of the game.

Georgia will face the winner of Georgia Tech and UNC-Wilmington Sunday night at 6 pm with a chance to win the Athens Regional and advance one step closer to the College World Series in Omaha.

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