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BSB: Dawgs Roll 15-5 Over Kennesaw State
Georgia pounded out 19 hits in a 15-5 win over Kennesaw State Tuesday at Foley Field that ended in eight innings due to the 10-run rule.
Kolby Branch’s bases-loaded run-scoring single ended the contest as he was one of five Bulldogs to collect three hits on the night. Branch (3-for-4, 3 RBI), Charlie Condon (3-for-4, 2 RBI), Tre Phelps (3-for-6, 2 RBI) Slate Alford (3-for-5) and Clayton Chadwick (3-for-5, 1 RBI) led the Bulldogs at the plate. Georgia (25-8) employed eight pitchers as part of a staff night with sophomore Zach Harris picking up his third win. KSU reliever Bryaden Eidson dropped to 0-1. The Owls fell to 17-14.
Georgia scored in six of the eighth innings including a five-run first and a four-run fifth to build a big lead. Condon hit his NCAA-leading 21st home run in the fourth inning while Branch added a two-run blast in the seventh for his 10th this year.
“I told our guys today that we have to be careful because this could be a trap game,” said Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson. “We got in late Sunday, or I guess that was technically Monday, after a hard SEC weekend so I went ahead and gave them Monday off, which we normally don’t do. We were able to come out tonight and put up 20 hits, walk 10 times, and for the most part, the pitchers attacked the strike zone. I think coming out doing that with some energy is tough and they did it.”
Georgia freshman right-hander Luke Wiltrakis struck out the side in the sixth for an impressive frame. He came on with two on and nobody out and struck out the first batter he faced. Then after allowing a single, he came back to strike out Issac Bouton and Spencer Hanson, the No. 2 and 3 hitters in the Owls lineup. KSU tied the game in the third and then Georgia outscored the Owls 10-0 the rest of the night. Georgia’s Max DeJong provided two scoreless frames to close out it.
Georgia returns to SEC action here Thursday against Missouri. First pitch will be at 7:02 p.m. ET, and the game will be available on SEC Network and the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
Photo Gallery
Box Score
ICYMI – Video/Transcript: Cole Speer, Malaki Starks, Gunner Stockton and Terrell Foster Interviews
On being limited this spring and being a leader for the younger players…
“It’s tough, I haven’t been out for this long since I started playing football, so just for me to sit out and not be able to do stuff is tough. I just started doing independent work not too long ago, so I’m able to get back into it a little bit. I guess it’s a blessing in disguise because it’s teaching me how to lead from a different perspective and how to be there for the younger guys plus the older guys in the DB room. It’s teaching me how to connect with certain people.”
On what has stood out to him about the safety competition this spring…
“There’s a bunch of depth in that room. That room is very competitive. Just to go out there and watch them compete to try and beat the guy in front of him but in a healthy way. Healthy competition is what we talk about a lot in that room from every guy, from the oldest guy to the youngest guy in there. They’re all going out there and trying to get better every day so it’s a good thing to see.”
On what defines a successful spring to him…
“Probably how much I can actually learn and affect others. That’s the biggest thing for me in my role right now is being able to affect other people, whether it’s a young guy, old guy, grad assistant or coach it doesn’t matter, just bringing that energy and knowing that every day I’m going to go out there and be the same guy no matter what. I can’t practice but I’m not going to sit there and pout about it, I want to see everybody get better and I want to see the defense grow. Being able to learn and teach is important to me.
On what defines a good G-Day to him…
“Probably being productive, but at the end of the day, I want my team to win no what side I’m on. Red or black, whatever I can attribute to that role of winning would probably make me happy.”
On how spring practice has been…
“Yeah, it’s been good. It started off really hot. I think the first, I think it was the first padded practice, I didn’t throw an incompletion, so just going from there and trying to build. I mean, everybody has their bad days, and I’ve had them, but just keep trying to build and finish it the right way.”
On why he would wait behind Carson Beck rather than transfer…
“Yeah, I mean, Carson is the perfect example. He’s shown resilience, and, heck, he’s waited his turn. I mean he’s worked hard. He’s proven that he’s one of the best quarterbacks, and it’s just a privilege to kind of take from him and just get to learn from him. It’s pretty awesome. I mean, heck, at Georgia, you’re going to win, so that’s the biggest part. And, you can go to a lot of different places, but there’s a lot of things that Georgia has that they can’t offer, so that’s probably the biggest part.”
On the value of bowl practice and playing in the Orange Bowl…
“Yeah, it was awesome. Leading up to it I got a bunch of reps, and just like this spring I’ve gotten, heck, a couple ones reps, twos, and a bunch of threes, and just because, yeah, but I got a bunch of reps. And, I think it’s valuable, like, I try to cherish it and just make the most of it.”
On the opportunity G-Day this Saturday provides…
“I just want to show everybody that I can play. That’s what I tried to do in the Orange Bowl, and I thought I did. And, take this opportunity just to go play a game, that’s the way I look at it. Play with everybody.”
On what excites him about the offense this spring…
“We’ve been very explosive and Coach Bobo is a very good play caller. There’s some very talented weapons that are going to be used during the season and in the spring game, so I’m looking forward to it.”
On what it’s been like being coached by James Coley this spring…
“He’s a more technical guy. He’s really smart and was the previous offensive coordinator here, so he knows what he’s doing. He’s been coaching hard just like Bryan McClendon and other coaches that have been here. Any coach that’s coming through here that Coach Smart is going to hire, is going to coach you hard. It’s been good so far and I’m looking forward to keep getting better with him.”
On his relationship with Stockton and his progression this spring…
“Yeah, me and Gunner are pretty close. I roll with the two’s a lot, so we get to throw together a good bit and he’s continued to get better every single day and continues to deliver good balls to me. I can’t complain.”
On why he chose to attend Georgia…
“It’s Georgia. This program is known for developing good players and I came to here to become a good player. That was the main intention.”
On the running back room…
“I think we have a lot of depth in our running back room. Each running back has a certain skillset that they bring to the table. I think moving forward and going into the season, we’ll be good in the running back room.”
On what he is looking forward to this G-Day…
“It’s just been a journey for me through this entire spring in general. Constantly trying to make sure I’m improving day in and day out. G-Day is just another day of making sure I add a plus one to it, in my opinion.”
SB: No. 7/8 Georgia (31-8) vs. Georgia State (10-27) Tonight at Jack Turner Stadium
First Pitch: 6 p.m.
Location: Athens, Ga.
Stadium: Jack Turner Stadium
Admission: FREE (no tickets required / seating is first come, first served)
Game Day Central & Fan Information: https://gado.gs/bjt
Media Information
Streaming: SEC Network+
Play-by-play: Kaleb Frady
Analysis: Megan Wiggins
Live Stats: GeorgiaDogs.com
Twitter Updates: @UGAsoftball
Complete Game Notes Attached
The seventh-ranked Georgia softball is back at Jack Turner Stadium to host Georgia State in midweek action on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. between the Bulldogs and Panthers.
Follow the Bulldogs
– Wednesday’s game will stream live on SEC Network+. Kaleb Frady (play-by-play) and Megan Wiggins (analyst) will be on the call.
– Live stat links can be found on the softball schedule page on GeorgiaDogs.com.
– Live Twitter updates will be available on the official Twitter page of Georgia softball, @UGAsoftball.
Fan Information and Upcoming Promotions at Jack Turner Stadium (https://gado.gs/bjt)
– Admission to every regular-season home game is free; no tickets are required to enter Jack Turner Stadium. Seating is first come, first served. Gates open one hour prior to first pitch.
– For the 2024 season, parking is available in the lot closest to S. Milledge Ave. The back lot is closed due to construction.
– The UGA Clear Bag Policy is in effect.
UGA Student Appreciation Night
– The first 100 UGA Students will receive a t-shirt and a Chick-fil-A sandwich
– Kids in fifth grade and younger can run the bases post-game
BULLDOGS BULLETIN
Series History
– Georgia leads the all-time series 20-4
– The Bulldogs are 14-4 in Athens in the all-time series
– Georgia has won the last 10 meetings dating back to 2015
– The Panthers won back-to-back meetings in 2013 and 2014
Georgia in the Polls
Georgia in the Poll: Week 9
– USA Today/NFCA: 7
– ESPN/USA Softball: 8
– D1Softball: 9
– Softball America: 9
– RPI: 5
Recapping Action
Georgia dropped a road series in Knoxville to No. 6 Tennessee over the weekend. The Lady Vols took the opener 5-1 on Friday. Emily Digby’s fourth home run was Georgia’s lone run production in the game. The Bulldogs rebounded on Saturday to even the series with a 3-2 win. Digby’s second inning two-run double put Georgia on the board, while Sarah Gordon’s fifth inning go-ahead home run secured the win. A three-run home run in the sixth lifted the Lady Vols to victory on Sunday. Shelby Walters had retired 13 straight batters until the sixth. Walters appeared in all three games, striking out 11 batters in 12.2 innings and holding the Lady Vols to a .196 average.
A Look at What’s Ahead
The Bulldogs are back on the road for a three-game series at Kentucky this weekend. The series kicks off Friday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. with Saturday’s game slated for 2 p.m. Sunday’s game has been changed to 2:30 p.m. and elevated to air on ESPN2. Georgia returns to Athens and will open a seven-game homestand beginning Wednesday, April 17 against USC-Upstate.
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