Tough night at Foley Field
Arkansas showed why it’s the top-ranked team, scoring 10 runs over the final three innings to rout No. 7 Georgia Friday night at Foley Field, 13-3.
The score was tied at 3 heading to the seventh before the Razorbacks (32-3, 12-1) put the game away.
“In every game, if you really go back and look in our league, in competitive games, every team has a chance to go one way or the other, based on opportunities they’re given,” head coach Wes Johnson said. “The teams that take advantage of it and do it, they usually go on to win the ballgames. We didn’t do that today.”
Even when the game was close, Georgia (30-6, 8-5) did itself no favors.
For example:
• In the fourth, a throwing error by Kolby Branch at third put Cam Kozeal at second with two out. He later scored the tying on a single before Brian Curley retired the next batter to escape the inning.
• In the fifth, Georgia had runners at second and third with just one out after a double by Alford but failed to score when Zach Root recorded consecutive strikeouts of Ryland Zaborowski and Robbie Burnett.
• In the sixth, the Bulldogs loaded the bases with two out but could not get a key hit.
• In the seventh, a leadoff walk by reliever JT Quinn turned into the go-ahead run on an RBI triple by Gabe Frazer, who came in hitting .190.
“The little things matter always,” Branch said. “You know, free passes and then, and on the offensive side, not getting a clutch hit, not getting any free passes for us … allowing free passes, yeah, it starts to spiral.”
Johnson – who spoke to his team for approximately 10 minutes after the game – was not happy with what he saw, telling the media, “We just need to get ready and play tomorrow.”
Seven runs in eighth made it 13 unanswered by the Razorbacks after Branch’s two-run homer put Georgia up 3-0 in the second.
The game started well enough for Georgia.
Curley retired the first nine batters he faced before the Razorbacks used a hit by pitch and three hits to pull even with the Bulldogs, who managed only five hits the entire game against Root (6-1), Aiden Jimenez, and Dylan Carter. The two pitchers held Georgia to just five hits, with four walks and nine strikeouts.
Four of those hits came from the bottom third of Georgia’s order, as the top five in the lineup went a combined 1-for-19.
The Bulldogs and Razorbacks resume their series Saturday at 4.
“You know what? You better bounce back,” Johnson said. “It’s like I tell people all the time, man, it’s who’s next? Ranked two, three, whoever, whatever. This is every weekend in the SEC. We’ll bounce back.” ever, whoever, whoever.
NOTE:
…Tre Phelps made his return to the lineup after missing the last eight games. He went 0-for-4.
