ATHENS – Most of N.C. State’s players were 4 or 5 years old the last time the Wolfpack met Georgia in an NCAA Super Regional. Therefore, it’s highly unlikely the visitors were seeking revenge for that 9-spot the Bulldogs put on them in the first inning to open the deciding third game in 2008.
As it went, N.C. State did UGA two better by scoring 11 runs in the second inning of the first game of this year’s NCAA Athens Super Regional. The Wolfpack (37-20) were able to make the 11-0 lead stand up over the last seven innings of what ended as a 18-1 final.
“Tip your hat; they had a big inning,” Georgia coach Wes Johnson said. “I don’t even know how to (explain it); bunts, this, that and the other. But, you know, here’s the great thing about our game: Nothing carries over to tomorrow.”
It was only the sixth loss all season at home for the Bulldogs, who fall to 42-16. The box-score totals told the story: 20 hits, five home runs, five doubles for N.C. State; four hits, no homers, two errors for UGA. Even the great Charlie Condon was 0-for-3.
Despite all that, this was not the most runs Georgia allowed this season. That would be 19, which the Bulldogs gave up three times this season: against Michigan State, Texas A&M and Florida.
Georgia will have at least one game left in which to redeem itself. Also, the result being so lopsided the Bulldogs did nothing to tax their pitching staff. The teams will reconvene at Foley Field at noon Sunday for Game 2 in the best-of-three series to determine who advances to the College World Series. The game has been moved to ESPN2.
In 2008, that was Georgia. The Bulldogs won the deciding game 17-8 and went on to reach the CWS finals, losing the championship game to Fresno State 6-1. Georgia has been to five World Series, winning its only national championship in 1990.
As for the fateful second inning Saturday, that was a comedy of errors, even if the Bulldogs were charged with only one in the frame. With more accurate scoring, there probably should have been three or four. Regardless, every Georgia misplay was costly.
It started harmlessly enough, with N.C. State’s No. 5 hitter Brandon Butterworth reaching on a soft liner to center off the end of his bat. That was followed by Alex Sosa’s solid single down the right-field line. Then the Wolfpack executed some small-ball, for which Georgia apparently was unprepared.
Luke Nixon’s bunt up the first-base line was meant only to advance the runners. Instead, the Bulldogs failed even to get off a throw to first. Matt Heavner figured he’d do the same and also reached, recording an RBI in the process. That brought up .218 hitter Noah Soles in the 9-hole, who hit a line-drive double to right field that cleared the bases. Now it’s 4-nothing.
Now at the top of the lineup, Eli Serrano cranked a two-run homer to right field into the throes of the now-stunned crowd on “Kudzu Hill.” Six-oh.
Back-to-back hard singles still didn’t solicit a mound visit from coach Wes Johnson. Georgia had a chance to record an out when first baseman Corey Collins fielded a grounder next to his bag and opted to throw to second to attempt a double play. Not only were the Bulldogs unable to execute it, but Collins’ high throw to second was validated by video replay to have pulled shortstop Kolby Branch off the bag. Everybody’s safe.
Now having batted around, Butterworth hit a ball deep to the gap in right-center field. Dylan Goldstein ran it down, but dropped the ball when he ran into the wall. The runners holding, only one run scored. Seven-nothing.
That finally brought a pitching change. Georgia starter Kolten Smith, who had to leave his previous outing last weekend with arm soreness, left without recording an out in the second. Junior right-hander Chandler Marsh took over.
Marsh’s strikeout of Alex Sosa drew sarcastic applause from the sellout crowd. Then Nixon, a .232 hitter, follow with a base hit to center that played two more runs for the Wolfpack. Nine-zip.
There, it devolved from the sublime to the surreal. With two outs, left fielder Clayton Chadwick got a late jump on what should have been a routine fly ball and failed to glove it when he attempted a diving catch. Inexplicably ruled a double, that plated two more runs and N.C. State led 11-0. Center fielder Dillon Carter mercifully ended the inning with a diving catch that saved even more runs.
And that was that.
“It’s good to get that first one,” N.C. State coach Elliott Avent said. “Obviously, we played really well, but we’ve got to get one more.”
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, they have some experience this season playing games after giving up 18 or more runs to an opponent. They’re 2-1 in those next games.
They lost to LSU 9-1 in the opening round of the SEC Tournament following a 19-11 loss to Florida that ended the regular season. But after getting run-ruled by Michigan State 19-6, Georgia beat Georgia Tech to start March with a nine-game win streak to begin the month of March and went on another nine-game win streak after a 19-9 loss to Texas A&M.
“Coach brought that up,” senior first baseman Corey Collins said. “We bounced back against A&M. There’s nothing on the stat sheet that says how many balls we hit over 100 (mph exit velocity) today. Quite a bit. Those balls just didn’t land today.”
Both teams spouted a lot of cliches in their postgame press conferences. Each talked about “flushing” Saturday’s result and turning all attention to Sunday’s matchup.
Georgia is expected to start Leighton Finley. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound right-hander from Richmond Hill struggled in his last start, unable to get out of the fourth inning in the Bulldogs’ 8-7 win over Army to open the Athens Regional last weekend. But he earned the save two days later by getting Georgia out of a bases-loaded jam in the 10th inning of an 8-6 win over Georgia Tech.
N.C. State is expected to counter with left-hander Dominic Fritton (3-5, 6.75 ERA). Both bullpens are stocked and ready.
“We know that our job’s not done yet,” said N.C. State catcher Jacob Cozart, who was 3-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored. “We’ve still got a big game tomorrow.”
Said Collins, a senior: “I don’t know how many days I have left in Athens. I’m just going to hang out with my family. We’ve been playing this game long enough to know there’s a quick turnaround, and that’s the best thing about it, right? We’ve got another one.”
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