Georgia Gets Walk-Off Winner In Extras To Take Series Over Arkansas

(Georgia Athletics photo)

By Jake Mastroianni 

After a tough weekend series on the road against Texas, Georgia (32-6, 10-5) won a highly contested series against the top-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (32-5, 12-3) at home. 

It was a nice bounce-back for the Bulldogs, who, outside of a few innings late on Friday, got some great pitching on the weekend to slow down an Arkansas offense that had been on fire since SEC play started. 

Despite the series loss on the road, it’s easy to see why Arkansas came in ranked number one. All three games were highly entertaining. 

Game 1: Arkansas 13, Georgia 3

Brian Curley moved into the Friday night role for Georgia, and once again dominated early but then ran into some trouble going through the lineup a second and third time. Still, he did a great job allowing just three runs over five innings against the Razorback offense. 

After Arkansas tied the game up 3-3 on an RBI single by Kuhio Aloy, it looked like Georgia was going to get the lead right back with runners on second and third with no outs; but Zach Root got a pair of huge strikeouts to escape and keep it tied. 

Root finished the game going 5.2 innings while allowing three runs on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. 

Aidan Jimenez helped Root get out of a 6th inning jam and wound up retiring seven consecutive batters. 

This game was a lot closer than the final score would indicate, as Arkansas scored seven runs in the 9th inning. 

The Aloy brothers (Kuhio and Wehiwa) had huge games, combining to go 5-7 with five runs scored, six RBI, two walks, a double, a home run, and a hit by pitch. 

Game 2: Georgia 7, Arkansas 6

Kolten Smith finally moved back into the starting rotation this weekend, with Charlie Goldstein moving to the bullpen. Smith delivered in a big way, allowing just two runs on five hits and a walk over five innings with eight strikeouts for Georgia. 

The Bulldog offense jumped out to an early 3-0 lead again with Nolan McCarthy and Ryland Zaborowski getting RBI hits in the 1st inning. 

This time, they would continue to add to their lead as Robbie Burnett hit a two-run homer off Arkansas starter Gabe Gaeckle in the second inning. Zaborowksi homered in the third inning to make it 6-2, and then Ryan Black capped the scoring for Georgia in this one with an RBI double in the sixth. 

However, that Georgia bullpen continues to be an issue, as they let Arkansas get back in the game with a two-run homer by Kuhio Aloy in the eighth, and a wild pitch scored his brother in the ninth. 

Matthew Hoskins was able to come on in the ninth after the first two runners reached and finish the game for the save. 

Game 3: Georgia 7, Arkansas 6 (12)

With the addition of Curley into the rotation a few weeks ago, Smith this past weekend, and Leighton Finley starting to pitch like the guy we thought he could be, this has suddenly become a very dangerous rotation for Georgia, to go along with a high-powered offense. 

Finely allowed just one earned run over 5.2 innings on three hits and a walk with eight strikeouts on Sunday. 

Thanks to a catcher’s interference call, it was Arkansas who jumped out to a lead this time. But, Arkansas answered back quickly in the 2nd inning with a hit batter, double, and two-run homer by Kolby Branch to make it 3-1 Georgia. 

Slate Alford made it a 4-1 game with a solo shot in the 3rd, but that was answered with a solo shot by Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick in the 4th. 

Landon Beidelshies got the start on the mound for the Razorbacks and was good outside of that three-run 2nd. His final line was 5 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 ER, 6 Ks. 

Alton Davis followed Finley on the mound. He issued a pair of one-out walks in the 7th before getting removed. The Razorbacks took advantage of those walks and an error to get back within a run. 

Another hit batter, error, and stolen base allowed Georgia to stretch their lead to 5-3 in the seventh. 

Tyler McLoughlin was asked to try and hold a 2-run lead for Georgia and get the final six outs. After a 1-2-3 eighth inning, he gave up a leadoff home run to Helfrick to begin the ninth. And then with two outs, Wehiwa Aloy homered to tie the game. 

It remained tied until the 11th inning, when Arkansas scored an unearned run. But in the bottom half, Zaborowski was hit by a pitch with two outs, and pinch-runner Dan Jackson scored from first on a double by Tre Phelps to tie the game again. 

Arkansas reliever Cole Gibler struck out the first two batters in the bottom of the 12th, but Henry Hunter sent the home crowd home happy with a walk-off home run to straight-away center. 

What’s next: 

• Arkansas hosts Pine Buff during the mid-week and then will face a Texas A&M team that might finally be waking up. 

• Georgia plays rival Georgia Tech at Truist Park on Tuesday and then will travel to face Vanderbilt.

  
  

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