Daily Dawg Thread: March 09, 2024

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Daily Dawg Thread: March 09, 2024

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BSB: Dawgs run rule Northern Colorado to open series

Watch a fullscreen slideshow HERE.

Charlie Condon and Dylan Goldstein hit two home runs apiece to lead Georgia to an 11-1 win over Northern Colorado in seven innings Friday at Foley Field.

Condon (2-for-2, 4 RBI) smashed his team-leading 10th home run to put the Bulldogs in front 1-0. The Bears tied the game in the third on a sacrifice fly by Kai Wagner. Georgia (13-1) responded in the bottom of the third. Goldstein (3-for-3, 6 RBI) made it 2-1 on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and graduate Paul Toetz followed with another to make it 3-1.

 

 

 

 

In the fifth, Georgia chased Bears starter Dylan Smith. Dillon Carter and Slate Alford reached with base hits and Condon was hit by a pitch for the second time of the contest to load the bases. Goldstein followed with a grand slam for a 7-1 lead. It was his fourth home run of the year, and he became the third different Bulldog with a grand slam this week, joining Alford (versus Ga. Southern on Tuesday) and Kolby Branch (versus Stetson on Wednesday).

 

 

 

 

In the sixth, Condon blasted a three-run home run with an exit velocity of 111.5 miles per hour. Goldstein followed with a solo shot for an 11-1 lead. Condon, who ranks among the national leaders in batting and home runs, has a .549 average with 11 home runs and 21 RBI. The Bulldogs lead the NCAA in home runs with 39.

“Dylan got it with a really good swing,” said Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Wes Johnson on the latest grand slam. “I’m trying to think of the last time I’ve seen grand slams three games in a row. Coach (Will) Coggin has been working hard, and the hitters have been working on some small adjustments.”

“We’ve got great players all down the roster,” Goldstein added. “We’ve got guys that are ready to get out there each day.”

Bulldog graduate Charlie Goldstein (3-0) pitched five innings for the win, allowing one unearned run on three hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Junior Chandler Marsh pitched a scoreless inning and freshman Wyatt Land made his debut with a scoreless frame and two strikeouts. Land became the 22nd Bulldog to see action on the mound this season. Smith fell to 0-4 after surrendering seven runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings.

The Bulldogs continue the series Saturday against the Bears with a doubleheader. First pitch now is scheduled for 2 p.m. Game two will begin approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. The entire series will be streamed on SECN+ and available on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network,

Box Score

SB: No. 7/6 Georgia softball picked up a run-rule victory over Miami (Ohio) Friday afternoon, beating the RedHawks 13-2 in five innings.

Jayda Kearney

Jayda Kearney went 3-for-3 and hit two home runs, the second a grand slam to complete the run rule in the fifth.

Georgia climbs to 16-3 on the season.

The duo of Sara Mosley and Kearney highlighted the day at the plate for the Dogs. Mosley drove in five and also homered in the game. The pair combined for 11 RBI.

Lilli Backes (6-1) recorded the victory in the circle, working five innings, allowing two unearned runs, on four hits. She struck out three and walked just one.

Georgia put up eight runs in the bottom of the first to take a commanding lead early in the contest. Mosley kicked off the scoring with a two-run home run, 2-0. Kearney followed with a solo shot to make it 3-0. An RBI single from Ellie Armistead plated Georgia’s fourth run, and then a bases-loaded walk to Lyndi Rae Davis pushed in another, 5-0. Mosley singled to left with bases still loaded, driving in two more. The inning ended on a Kearney RBI single to bring the lead to 8-0, but Mosley was out at home attempting to score.

The 8-0 score held until the fifth inning. Down to the RedHawks’ (13-5) final strike, Jenna Golenbiewski used a two-run home run to keep the game going, 8-2.

Georgia loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning with no out. Mosley looked at ball four to plate pinch runner Hannah Davila, 9-2. Kearney then blasted her eighth home run of the game, a grand slam, to call game and run rule the RedHawks 13-2.

Weather has affected day two of the Bulldog Classic. The first game of the day between Jacksonville State and Furman has been canceled. Georgia’s game against Jacksonville State will now begin at 2 p.m. then the Bulldogs will take on Miami at 4:30 p.m. Miami and Furman will now square off at 7 p.m. to finish the day.

Stay tuned to Georgia Softball on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for further updates due to inclement weather.

Saturday, March 9 Schedule

2 p.m. – Jacksonville State vs. Georgia

4:30 p.m. – Miami vs. Georgia

7 p.m. – Miami vs. Furman

Head Coach Tony Baldwin

On the team’s performance…

” I’m really pleased with the way that we came out and competed. We played with joy and just did the things that we’ve been working on. And, after a tough finish to the California trip, getting back to work this week and then getting back on the field felt good to get out there and compete again and do the things that we’re capable of. I’m really proud of Lilli [Backes], I thought she was super sharp. Defensively, there was a couple things that we could clean up, but we also made some really good plays. So, pretty complete effort against a really good ball club.”

On what he is looking forward to as the Bulldog Classic continues…

“Just continuing to play. We’ve said many times this is a race against ourselves to see how good we can be. And so, it really isn’t about the team in the other dugout. It’s just can we go do the things that we trained to do, that we believe that we are capable of doing, and fighting that battle that you have within yourself and in your mind — and more opportunities to do that. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”

Box Score

WTEN: No. 10 Georgia remains undefeated in SEC play, knocking off No. 18 Florida, 4-3

The victory extends the Bulldogs’ (8-3, 3-0 SEC) winning streak to six matches, now going 2-0 against the Gators (5-7, 1-2 SEC) this season and winning the last eight meetings over Florida.  

Georgia opened the scoring by earning the doubles point, marking its seventh consecutive match in which it has taken the doubles decision.

Fresh off of earning their first top 10 doubles ranking of the season, the No. 8 tandem of Aysegul Mert and Dasha Vidmanova made quick work of Qavia Lopez and Malwina Rowinska (Florida) en route to a 6-3 victory on court one.

Tight scores were held late on courts two and three, but the duo of Alexandra Vecic and Mell Reasco pulled through to defeat Carly Briggs and Rachel Gailis (Florida), 6-3, to secure the doubles point.

In singles, it was the back end of the lineup that led the way for the Bulldogs.

On court four, No. 98 Anastasiia Lopata was dominant from start to finish as she cruised past Alicia Dudeney (Florida), 6-1, 6-1.

Appearing in the lineup for a second-consecutive weekend on court five, Mert battled back from trailing in both sets to take a hard-fought 6-4, 6-4 win over Lopez (Florida).

With matches on courts 1-3 and six leveled at one set apiece, Guillermina Grant pulled off the clinching moment as she came back from a set down to defeat Rowinska (Florida) 3-6, 7-6, 6-1 on court six.

Despite the 4-0 score line securing the Bulldogs the victory, both sides opted to play the matches out resulting in wins for the Gators on courts 1-3.

Georgia will now wrap up the last of its five-match road trip where it will face No. 22 South Carolina on Sunday, Mar. 10 at 1 p.m. ET in Columbia, S.C. Both programs will compete against each other for the second time this season, as the Bulldogs previously knocked off the Gamecocks 4-1 in the ITA Kickoff Championship match on Jan. 27 to punch their ticket to the ITA DI Women’s National Team Indoor Championships.

No. 10 GEORGIA vs No. 22 SOUTH CAROLINA

Date: Sunday, Mar. 10

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: Columbia, S.C.

Venue: Carolina Tennis Center

Live Scoring: https://gado.gs/bhr

Live Video: https://gado.gs/bis

Singles Results

No. 45 Rachel Gailis (Florida) def. No. 29 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA), 7-6, 4-6, 6-0

No. 80 Sara Dahlstrom (Florida) def. No. 25 Alexandra Vecic (UGA), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

No. 79 Carly Briggs (Florida) def. No. 68 Mell Reasco (UGA), 6-7, 6-4, 6-2

No. 98 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) def. Alicia Dudeney (Florida), 6-1, 6-1

Aysegul Mert (UGA) def. Qavia Lopez (Florida), 6-4, 6-4

Guillermina Grant (UGA) def. Malwina Rowinska (Florida), 3-6, 7-6, 6-1

Doubles Results

No. 8 Aysegul Mert/Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) def. Qavia Lopez/Malwina Rowinska (UF), 6-2

No. 34 Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) vs Alicia Dudeney/Bente Spee (UF), 3-5 (unfinished)

Mell Reasco/Alexandra Vecic (UGA) def. Carly Briggs/Rachel Gailis (UF), 6-3

Match Notes:

No. 10 Georgia (8-3, 3-0 SEC)

No. 18 Florida (5-7, 1-2 SEC)

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (4,5,6,3,1,2)


MTEN: Georgia won both matches of its doubleheader on Friday – Alabama and South Carolina State

Ryan Colby

The No. 48 Georgia men’s tennis team won both matches of its doubleheader on Friday, defeating No. 21 Alabama, 5-2, at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex and South Carolina State, 4-1, at the Lindsay Hopkins Indoor Tennis Facility.

No. 65 Ryan Colby clinched the first match of the day and of his Georgia (6-6, 1-2 SEC) career against Alabama’s (10-7, 0-2 SEC) No. 69 Enzo Aguiard, extending the Bulldogs’ home winning streak against the Crimson Tide to 22 matches. During the second match, Freddy Blaydes clinched his first win as well during the team’s first match in the newly renovated Lindsay Hopkins Indoor Tennis Facility against South Carolina State (4-5).

“Our guys showed a lot of resolve, and they’ve been fighting great all spring,” head coach Manuel Diaz said. “We’ve had some tough matches, but these guys are learning and getting more comfortable when things are difficult. We’ve had moments where we’re getting a nervous and forcing things a little bit. I think we’re finally starting to be comfortable in those situations, and tonight it paid off.” 

The Bulldogs earned the doubles point for the sixth time this season by taking victories on courts two and one against the Crimson Tide. On court two, Niels Ratiu and Ryan Colby picked up their 10th win together as they defeated Aguiard and Zach Foster, 6-4. Freddy Blaydes and Thomas Paulsell clinched the doubles point on court one with their first win against a ranked opponent in a 6-4 decision over No. 74 Filip Planinsek and Andrii Zimnokh.

The Bulldogs opened singles play by taking three first sets. No. 100 Miguel Perez Peña earned his second win in the last three matches after he defeated Matias Ponce De Leon in straight sets. The Crimson Tide put their first point on the board with a victory on court six, but Cyrus Mahjoob managed to pull out his eighth three-set win in a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 result over Roan Jones on court five. 

All three remaining matches on the top courts were in the midst of tight third sets after Mahjoob notched his 17th win of the year. Alabama’s Zimnokh responded by beating Ratiu on court three before No. 65 Colby picked up his first clincher after he defeated his team-best eighth ranked opponent this season. The teams played out the remaining contest on court one. No. 82 Paulsell closed out the day’s first match with a marathon three-setter in a 6-4, 6-7(13), 7-6(5) victory over No. 46 Planinsek, tying his highest-ranked win. The three-hour, 26-minute match gave the Bulldogs their first Southeastern Conference win of the season. 

Georgia started their second competition with a 6-3 decision from Parker Jacques and Davis Taylor in doubles play, the tandem’s first win in the dual match slate. Facing a break point to head into a breaker, Freddy Blaydes and Niels Ratiu clinched the doubles point for the team with a 7-5 victory over Aissa Benchakroun and Benjamin Niv.

Georgia continued to impress in the second set of singles competition on Friday evening. Jacques defeated Gabriel Johnson by a 6-4, 6-3 score, marking his second win of the spring. Blaydes clinched the sixth win of the year for the team when he defeated Benchakroun 7-5, 6-2 on court three, capping off the team’s first indoor match in Athens since March 18, 2022.

“It’s always tough playing in that many matches,” Blaydes said, “After the first match, the key is to chill, take your time, eat well, recover. Doubles are always a sprint, but singles are more of a marathon. I think that you just have to be mentally prepared and stay on top of energy levels.”

Georgia returns to the Dan Magill Tennis Complex for another doubleheader on Sunday, March 10, with matches scheduled against No. 35 Auburn at 1 p.m. ET and Georgia State at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs are currently riding a 14-match win streak against the Tigers, while the Panthers have yet to beat Georgia, being swept in nine of the 13 matches in the series.

No. 48 Georgia 5, No. 21 Alabama 2

Doubles competition – Georgia Wins Point

1. Freddy Blaydes/Thomas Paulsell (UGA) def. No. 74 Filip Planinsek/Andrii Zimnokh (UA) 6-4*

2. Ryan Colby/Niels Ratiu (UGA) def. Enzo Aguiard/Zach Foster (UA) 6-4

3. Cyrus Mahjoob/Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) vs. Matic Dimic/Roan Jones (UA) 5-4, unfinished

Order of finish: 2, 1*

Singles competition

1. No. 82 Thomas Paulsell (UGA) def. No. 46 Filip Planinsek (UA) 6-4, 6-7 (13-15), 7-6 (7-5) 

2. No. 65 Ryan Colby (UGA) def. No. 69 Enzo Aguiard (UA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3*

3. Andrii Zimnokh (UA) def. Niels Ratiu (UGA) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4

4. No. 100 Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) def. Matias Ponce De Leon (UA) 6-4, 6-1

5. Cyrus Mahjoob (UGA) def. Roan Jones (UA) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 

6. Matic Dimic (UA) def. Freddy Blaydes (UGA) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1

Order of finish: 4, 6, 5, 3, 2*, 1

No. 48 Georgia 4, South Carolina State 1

Doubles competition

1. Freddy Blaydes/Niels Ratiu (UGA) def. Aissa Benchakroun/Benjamin Niv (SCSU) 7-5*

2. Novak Novakovic/Mikalai Bankou (SCSU) def. Filipe Costa/Cyrus Mahjoob (UGA) 6-5

3. Parker Jacques/Davis Taylor (UGA) def. Gabriel Johnson/Ivan Pauliuchenka (SCSU) 6-3

Order of finish: 3, 2, 1*

Singles competition

1. No. 100 Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) def. Novak Novakovic (SCSU) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6) 

2. Cyrus Mahjoob (UGA) vs. Mikalai Bankou (SCSU) 4-6, 6-1, 1-2, unfinished 

3. Freddy Blaydes (UGA) def. Aissa Benchakroun (SCSU) 7-5, 6-2*

4. Filipe Costa (UGA) vs. Benjamin Niv (SCSU) 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, unfinished

5. Parker Jacques (UGA) def. Gabriel Johnson (SCSU) 6-4, 6-3

6. Ivan Pauliuchenka (SCSU) def. Parker Mariencheck (UGA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3

Order of finish: 5, 1, 6, 3*


MBB: Georgia at Auburn to end the regular season

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Neville Arena (9,121)

Location: Auburn, Ala.

Series History: AU leads, 101-97

Last Meeting: AU, 97-76, on 2/24/24

TV: SEC Network (Dave Neal, play-by-play; Jon Sundvold, color analyst)

Radio: Georgia Bulldog Network – SiriusXM 384 (Scott Howard, play-by-play; Chuck Dowdle, color analyst; Adam Gillespie, producer)

The Starting Five

• Georgia treks to Auburn for its regular-season finale and 199th meeting with the Tigers. That ties Auburn with Georgia Tech as the Bulldogs’ second-most frequent foe all-time.

• Nine of Georgia’s 30 games have been a one-possession contest in the final 30 seconds of regulation, with the Bulldogs sporting a 5-4 record in those outings.

• Georgia has now used 11 players to comprise 11 different starting fives this season. Over the last 11 games, the Bulldogs have utilized eight different quintets of starters. 

• Freshmen Blue Dain, Silas Demary Jr. and Dylan James got the starting nod in Tuesday’s win over Ole Miss, the first time the Bulldogs started a trio of freshmen since Anthony Edwards, Toumani Camara and Sahvir Wheeler did so in a March 11, 2020 SEC Tournament win over Ole Miss.

• Georgia entered this weekend No. 22 nationally in bench points, with UGA’s reserves contributing 28.6 ppg. The Bulldogs’ bench has outscored its opponents in 24 of 30 games and supplied a season-long scoring margin of +298, an average of +9.9 ppg.

The Opening Tip

Georgia makes the three-hour, 180-mile trek down I-85 to face Auburn in the Bulldogs’ regular-season finale on Saturday. The Bulldogs are coming off a 69-66 win over Ole Miss on Tuesday and sport records of 16-14 overall and 6-11 in the SEC entering the contest.

With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 7-7 in outings that were one-possession contests in the final five minutes of regulation this season, as well as 5-4 in games that were one-possession affairs in the final 30 seconds

Georgia used its 11th different starting five this season against the Rebels. Graduate transfers Russel Tchewa and Noah Thomasson are the only Bulldogs who have been on the floor for every opening tip; however, freshman Silas Demary Jr. has started 29 of 30 outings, missing only the Texas A&M contest when Georgia went with an all-senior lineup on “Senior Day.”

Thomasson is Georgia’s leading scorer, both overall (12.8 ppg) and in SEC play (13.2 ppg). 

Jabri Abdur-Rahim also is scoring at a double-figure pace for the Bulldogs at 12.2 ppg, largely due to sporting team-high shooting percentages of .356 from 3-point range and .887 at the free throw line. Abdur-Rahim missed the Ole Miss game due to an ankle injury, his first DNP of his career at Georgia. Prior to that, Abdur-Rahim has played in 93 straight contests for the Bulldogs. 

A balanced offensive attack features five more players contributing between 7.0-9.9 ppg.

Five Bulldogs have upped their scoring averages from their non-conference contributions to SEC play, topped by Russel Tchewa’s jump of 2.9 ppg (from 6.1 to 9.0).

Among UGA’s career leaders…

Jabri Abdur-Rahim is

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

• 9 3FGs from No. 12 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

• 32 3FGs from No. 11 Jody Patton

• 2 3FGAs from No. 14 Turtle Jackson

• 9 3FGAs from No. 13 Sundiata Gaines

• 36 3FGAs from No. 12 Ray Harrison

Scouting The Tigers

Auburn is 23-7 overall and 12-5 in the SEC entering Saturday’s game. The Tigers are in a four-way tie for second place in the league standings.

Johni Broome is in the midst of a dominant season for Auburn, leading the Tigers in scoring (16.4 ppg), rebounding (8.5 rpg), blocks (2.3 bpg) and playing time (24.8 mpg). Among SEC leaders, Broome enters the weekend ranked No. 10 in scoring and No. 2 in rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks.

Jaylin Williams and Chad Baker-Mazara also are double-digit point producers for Auburn, contributing 12.9 ppg and 10.4 ppg, respectively. 

Series History With Auburn

Auburn enters Saturday’s regular-season finale with a 101-97 advantage in all-time matchups with Georgia.

Two weeks ago in Athens, the Tigers broke away from the Bulldogs late en route to a 97-76 victory at Stegeman Coliseum.

Auburn grabbed a double-digit lead midway through the first half and withstood a Georgia rally that trimmed the margin to three points three times in the second half.

After trailing 58-45 with 15:53 remaining, Georgia closed the gap to 60-57 on a pair of Silas Demary Jr. free throws with 11:49 remaining. The Bulldogs and Tigers traded buckets twice before a Johni Broome 3-pointer ignited a 14-2 surge by Auburn.

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 Bulldogs’ last trip of Auburn, his first 20-point performance at UGA 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.


Today’s UGA Sports Media Lineup

University of Georgia Baseball vs Northern Colorado

Saturday, March 91:00 – 4:00pm

Location: Athens, Ga., Foley Field

University of Georgia Baseball vs Northern Colorado TV: SECN+ Streaming Video: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/cab3b390-37a8-48e7-b348-045a28535164

Streaming Audio: https://admin.georgiadogs.com/showcase?Live=4572https://admin.georgiadogs.com/calendar.aspx?game_id=24871&sport_id=1

University of Georgia Softball vs Jacksonville State

Saturday, March 91:00 – 3:00pm

Location: Athens, Ga., Turner Softball Stadium

University of Georgia Softball vs Jacksonville State TV: SECN+ Streaming Video: https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=cf455a40-933f-4e9a-9b53-ca1d8a62220ahttps://admin.georgiadogs.com/calendar.aspx?game_id=24937&sport_id=13

University of Georgia Softball vs Miami (OH)

Saturday, March 93:30 – 5:30pm

Location: Athens, Ga., Turner Softball Stadium

University of Georgia Softball vs Miami (OH) TV: SECN+ Streaming Video: https://www.espn.com/watch/player?id=55963192-11f5-45a4-a3c3-0849bc69d656https://admin.georgiadogs.com/calendar.aspx?game_id=24938&sport_id=13

University of Georgia Baseball vs Northern Colorado

Saturday, March 95:00 – 8:00pm

Location: Foley Field

University of Georgia Baseball vs Northern Colorado TV: SECN+ Streaming Video: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/2c8ac801-bd72-4bd6-9ce6-83b164f008f7

University of Georgia Men’s Basketball at Auburn

Saturday, March 96:30 – 8:30pm

Location: Auburn, Ala., Auburn Arena

University of Georgia Men’s Basketball at Auburn TV: SECN Streaming Video: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/f6eaf2c5-fe3f-4be2-abca-85e4c7d7e10a

Streaming Audio: https://admin.georgiadogs.com/showcase?Live=4535https://admin.georgiadogs.com/calendar.aspx?game_id=24800&sport_id=7

University of Georgia Women’s Golf at Valspar Augusta Invitational – Day 2

Saturday, March 9

Location: Forest Hills Golf Course / Augusta, Ga.

University of Georgia Women’s Golf at Valspar Augusta Invitational – Day 2 https://admin.georgiadogs.com/calendar.aspx?game_id=24561&sport_id=17


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Greg is closing in on 15 years writing about and photographing UGA sports. While often wrong and/or out of focus, it has been a long, strange trip full of fun and new friends.