Georgia, Kennesaw State win elimination games in NCAA regionals

Georgia Southern splits two games
Josh McAllister hit two home runs for Georgia. File photo from UGA Athletics, Rob Davis

Credit: Rob Davis

Credit: Rob Davis

Josh McAllister hit two home runs for Georgia. File photo from UGA Athletics, Rob Davis

Georgia hit seven home runs, and Hofstra pitchers walked 10 batters as the Bulldogs defeated the Pride 24-1 in an elimination game in the Chapel Hill (N.C.) Regional on Saturday afternoon.

No. 9 batter Josh McAllister had two of Georgia’s home runs.

McAllister was 4-for-6 with five RBIs and four runs scored as the Bulldogs totaled 24 runs on only 16 hits, 11 for extra bases. Six Hofstra pitchers combined to walk 10 and hit two batters.

Georgia plays another elimination game at 1 p.m. Sunday against North Carolina, which lost to Virginia Commonwealth 4-3. If the Bulldogs win that game, they will face VCU at 6 p.m. Sunday.

In the third inning, McAllister and Ben Anderson hit back-to-back homers, and Cole Tate also homered as the Bulldogs (36-22) erupted for 13 runs, 11 before recording an out. They had seven hits and seven walks in the inning, including three consecutive walks with the bases loaded. Fernando Gonzalez added a run-scoring double and Parks Harber a triple for the Bulldogs.

In the fifth inning, Cory Acton hit a two-run homer and Harber a three-run shot that pushed the lead to 18-0. Luke Wagner’s two-run shot in the sixth made the score 20-0.

McAllister’s two-run homer capped the scoring in the ninth and gave the Bulldogs the largest win by a SEC team in an NCAA Tournament game.

Liam Sullivan (4-3) gave up six hits and struck out eight in seven innings to get the win.

Brian Morell and Ryan Morash both had two hits as the first NCAA appearance for Hofstra (30-23) came to a quick end. The Pride lost to North Carolina 15-4 in their opener.

Kennesaw State 9, Army 8: The Owls overcame a 6-2 deficit after four innings and defeated the Cadets in an elimination game at the Hattiesburg (Miss.) Regional.

Kennesaw State (36-26) broke a 7-7 tie with two runs in the seventh inning and held on for the victory. Nick Hassan’s two-run single scored Spencer Hanson and Cash Young in the seventh.

After Army (31-24) scored five runs in the fourth inning, Kennesaw State came back with four in the fifth, with Josh Hatcher delivering the big blow for the Owls, a three-run homer. Hatcher was 3-for-5 in the game, with two runs scored. Donovan Cash also was 3-for-5 for Kennesaw State.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, the Owls will face Southern Mississippi, which lost to LSU 7-6.

Georgia Southern 8, North Carolina-Greensboro 0: Ty Fisher took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, Christian Avant drove in three runs and the Eagles won their first game of the NCAA regional they are hosting in Statesboro.

The game originally was scheduled for Friday, but lightning pushed the game to Saturday morning.

Fisher was pitching a perfect game until he gave up his only walk with two outs in the sixth inning. He allowed a one-out single in the seventh.

Fisher ended with a four-hitter with six strikeouts in throwing the first complete game for the Eagles (41-18) since May 2018 and the first postseason shutout since 2014.

Notre Dame 6, Georgia Southern 4: The Eagles lost to the Fighting Irish and will meet Texas Tech at 2 p.m. Sunday in an elimination game.

The Red Raiders, who also have a loss in the regional, defeated North Carolina-Greensboro 2-0 on Saturday.

Notre Dame will play the winner of the earlier elimination game at 7 p.m. Sunday.

-Material from the Associated Press was used in this article.