No. 1 UGA Basketball Takes Out Alabama Crimson Tide in Game One of Series
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TUSCALOOSA – No. 1 UGA baseball routed No. 23 Alabama 19-3 to post a run-rule win in seven innings in game one of a doubleheader Friday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Game two went into a rain delay in the top of the fifth inning with the Crimson Tide leading 6-2 when play was suspended.
Fast Facts
• In game one, Georgia erased a 3-1 deficit with an eight-run outburst in the fifth inning to eventual run-rule No. 25 Alabama 19-3 in seven innings for its seventh straight win. It featured a two-run, game-tying double by Henry Hunter (2-4, career-high 4 RBI), a three-run home run by Tre Phelps and a solo home run by Kolby Branch. It was the largest inning by the Bulldogs in an SEC game this season. Hunter added a towering two-run home run in a seven-run seventh that traveled 452 feet.
• Junior Brian Curley pitched five innings in the opener, allowed three runs on two hits and tied his career-high with nine strikeouts for a win to improve to 4-2. In the second inning, UA put runners at first and second with nobody out, and he came back with a pair of strikeouts and a pickoff at second base to extinguish the threat. In the third, Kade Snell, the SEC’s leading hitter, put UA in front 3-1 with a three-run double.
• In game one, sophomore Tre Phelps (3-5, HR, 6 RBI) set a career-high with six RBI.
•Georgia hit six home runs in the opener (tied for most in a game this year) to give them an NCAA-leading 125. Kolby Branch (3-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI) hit a pair for the third time this season and Georgia went back-to-back twice in the contest.
• In game one, senior Slate Alford (1-1, HR, 3 BB) extended his on-base streak to 34 games with a solo home run in the first for his 16th home run.
• In game two of the doubleheader, Georgia grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first with Robbie Burnett and Phelps picking up an RBI, scoring Nolan McCarthy and Alford who began the game with base hits. For Alford, it extended his on-base streak to 35 games and 51 of 52 contests on the year.
• Alabama responded by batting around in the first to take a 4-2 lead and chase junior starter Kolten Smith.
• UA starter Riley Quick struck out seven in 4.1 innings while graduate Charlie Goldstein provided 3.1 innings of relief for the Bulldogs.
• Phelps was 2-for-3 including a one-out double in the fifth. Branch was at the plate with an 0-2 count when play was halted due to rain and UA holding a 6-2 advantage.
• The teams will aim to complete game two Saturday and then play the final game of the series.
Ike Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson
On Friday’s action
“You can look all the way up and down the lineup the way we swung it in game one with six home runs. Tre (Phelps), Ryan Black, Henry Hunter, Kolby Branch, Slate Alford they all had some good at bats. Slate got it started, a right-on-right matchup and hit a change up in the seats for the first one. It wasn’t (Brian) Curley’s best outing. He had to grind. His stuff, his movement profiled well, he just wasn’t throwing it in the strike zone. We were able to use some guys to finish the game when you jump out like that, but the offense won that first game.”
“I know we’re down in game two, and their guy, along with Kyson Witherspoon (Oklahoma) may be two of the best right-handers in this league. We’ve been working hard on being able to go the other way, and he was tough out there. We got a couple in the first and had some chances but he worked out of some jams.”
Up Next
Georgia (40-11, 16-9 SEC) is scheduled to finish the series here with No. 23 Alabama Saturday. Game two is slated to resume Saturday at 5:02 p.m. on SEC Network+ followed by the final game of the series. Inclement weather could again be a factor Saturday and force adjustments.