Good Friday morning, Dawg fans! Hope all of you have had a great week so far, as another week of Georgia Bulldogs baseball has come and gone.
The Diamond Dawgs turned in another strong stretch, sweeping the visiting Samford Bulldogs in a three-game weekend set before closing the week with a tough extra-innings loss to the Troy Trojans.
Game One vs. Samford
In typical Georgia fashion, the Dawgs got off to a fast start at the plate. Henry Allen ignited the offense in the bottom of the first with a three-run shot into the right-field
trees, scoring Daniel Jackson and Tre Phelps.
Georgia kept the power surge rolling in the fourth, as Kolby Branch and Rylan Lujo both launched home runs over the left-field fence to extend the lead to 6–1.
The Dawgs added insurance in the sixth and seventh innings, pushing their total to 11 runs, which was more than enough thanks to a dominant showing on the mound. Joey Volchko earned the win with a stellar six-inning outing, striking out eight while allowing just one earned run, as Georgia cruised to an 11–1 victory.
Game Two vs. Samford
Game two followed a similar script. Georgia once again jumped out early and relied on a powerful offensive performance backed by strong pitching.
Henry Allen stayed hot, blasting another three-run homer in the first inning, this one a laser off the foul pole, to score Daniel Jackson and Tre Phelps and put Georgia up 4–0.
The long ball remained the theme throughout the game. Kolby Branch, Michael O’Shaughnessy, Daniel Jackson, and Tre Phelps all cleared the fence between the second and eighth innings, pushing Georgia’s run total to 12.
On the mound, the Dawgs’ staff delivered another strong performance, combining for 16 strikeouts, nine from Matt Scott and seven from Caden Aoki, to seal a 12–4 win.
Game Three vs. Samford
If you thought Georgia had already peaked in games one and two, think again. The Dawgs turned in their most dominant performance of the series in the finale.
Georgia’s lineup racked up 17 hits, six of them home runs, in just four innings of play. Michael O’Shaughnessy and Brennan Hudson each went deep multiple times in a relentless offensive onslaught.
The pitching staff matched the offense’s dominance, shutting out Samford entirely. Dylan Vigue earned the win, striking out six while allowing just one hit across four scoreless innings.
Georgia vs. Troy
Following the sweep, Georgia returned to action in a midweek matchup against the Trojans of Troy, a much tighter contest than the weekend series.
Both teams traded blows throughout the night. Troy delivered timely hits, including two home runs, while Georgia pieced together a solid offensive effort of its own. Daniel Jackson provided the Dawgs’ lone homer of the game, giving Georgia a 3–2 lead in the seventh inning.
Troy responded in the eighth with a three-run double to take a 5–3 advantage, but Georgia answered right back in the bottom half of the inning. Tre Phelps delivered a clutch, game-tying single into left field to even things at 5–5.
Neither team scored in the ninth, sending the game into extra innings, and eventually the 12th. That’s where things unraveled for the Dawgs, as Troy plated the winning run on a wild pitch from Teddy Brennan to secure the 6–5 upset victory.
What’s Next
The Diamond Dawgs return to action today at 3:00 p.m. as they welcome the Oakland Golden Grizzlies to Foley Field for a four-game series. After that, Georgia will have a couple of midweek matchups against the Kennesaw State Owls on Tuesday and the Western Carolina Catamounts on Wednesday.
Hope all of you have a great Friday and weekend. As always, Go Dawgs!
