Texas’ Finds the Perfect Formula to Shut Down Georgia’s Offense in a Sweep
- Info CBC
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
By Jake Mastroianni
The conditions were perfect, and the execution even more so for Texas (26-4, 11-1) to sweep Georgia (29-5, 8-4) this past weekend in Austin.
Nobody has been able to figure out how to slow down the Georgia offense all year, but Texas was able to do so by limiting the free passes (walks and hit by pitches) and keeping the ball on the ground.
While Georgia’s lineup is very powerful, what allows them to stack up the runs is getting a ton of runners on base for those home runs.
Texas’ pitching staff walked 10 batters and hit three over the three games, which is great when going against the Bulldogs’ lineup. But the key was that they only allowed 3 home runs all weekend, and they were all solo home runs.
Part of that was the ballpark factor, as it is more pitcher-friendly, and the wind was mostly blowing in, but it’s also a huge credit to the Texas pitching staff.
Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle only had to use five pitchers on the weekend, and they combined to strike out 28 Georgia hitters.
Game 1: Texas 5, Georgia 1
Jared Spencer did something on Friday night that not many pitchers have been able to do this year, and that’s hold down the Georgia offense deep into a game.
The Texas ace was perfect through 4.1 innings and ended his outing going 7.2 innings while only allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 4 walks with 11 strikeouts on 111 pitches.
Spencer did a great job of keeping the ball on the ground with 7 groundouts, which is something you have to do against that powerful Georgia lineup. He was able to do that by getting ahead with the fastball at the knees and then tunneling his slider off that pitch.
Dylan Volantis came on in the eighth to help get Spencer out of a jam, and then he closed the door in the ninth.
Rylan Galvan started off a 3-run fourth inning with a leadoff single and then 2 stolen bases. He would plate the first run on a Kimble Schuessler double, and then Casey Borba homered.
Will Gasparino kept his hot streak alive with another home run. That made 7 home runs in a 6-game span.
Game 2: Texas 7, Georgia 4
The Georgia offense was able to take advantage of Texas mistakes early as their first 3 runs were scored thanks to an error, walk, balk, and hit by pitch.
Georgia starter Brian Curley had a no-hitter through 4 innings and a 4-0 lead, but a walk to start the fifth was followed by a 2-run shot from Jaquae Stewart to cut the lead in half.
Texas would go on to score 7 unanswered runs to get the win. It was highlighted by a 5-run seventh inning. Jalin Flores started it with a 2-RBI double to tie the game.
Will Gasparino didn’t hit a home run in this one, but he gave Texas their first lead of the game with a 2-RBI double, and then scored the final tally on a sacrifice fly out by Schuessler.
While Texas starter Luke Harrison wasn’t quite as sharp, allowing 6 hits, a walk, and 2 hit batters, he managed to pitch into the sixth and limit the damage thanks to 9 strikeouts.
Max Grubbs finished off the game with 3.1 shutout innings.
Kolten Smith, who had been dominant out of the bullpen for Georgia, took the loss, giving up 3 runs (2 earned) in 1.1 innings.
Game 3: Texas 4, Georgia 3 (10)
A great weekend of baseball was capped off with one of the best games of the weekend, as there were big moments throughout.
Texas got the first three runners on to start the bottom of the second and took an early 1-0 lead, but Georgia starter Leighton Finley got a huge double-play to escape.
Georgia loaded the bases with 1 out in the top of the third and plated a run on a walk to answer. It looked like they were about to break the game open as they have all year, but Texas starter Ruger Riojas got himself a big double-play.
Both starters settled in after that, combining to set down 18 of the next 19 batters from the start of the bottom of the third.
Ryan Black broke the tie in the top of the fifth with a home run for Georgia. Flores answered for Texas in the bottom of the sixth with a 2-run shot. And that was immediately answered by Georgia’s Nolan McCarthy, who homered to lead off the seventh.
That home run for McCarthy came after he made an outstanding throw to cut down a runner in the bottom of the sixth, keeping Texas from a big inning.
Dylan Volantis then became the story for Texas, tossing 4 shutout innings, allowing just a hit and a walk with 8 strikeouts.
And who other than Rylan Glavan to end it with a walk-off homer to begin the bottom of the 10th inning.
What’s next
Texas will host Houston Christian on Tuesday before traveling to play a pesky Kentucky team that lost a couple of close games in a series loss to Ole Miss.
It doesn’t get easier for Georgia as they host Arkansas next weekend after a mid-week tilt with Presbyterian.
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