Dawgs down Clemson, Capture Conference

The past weekend saw the Georgia Bulldogs play host to a hard fought 3 game series with a Conference Championship and a College World Series berth on the line against the Clemson Tigers. Game 1 turned into an old-fashion pitcher’s duel, with Georgia ace Randy Ficarrotta battling against Clemson starter James Lucas. Lucas took a perfect game into the 5th inning, before the Dawgs finally scratched across a pair of runners on a Clete Wilson single and Jonathan Pawlowski walk. Georgia threatened again in the 7th on a Dan Masi double, but were unable to push any runners across the plate. Lucas went the distance for Clemson, allowing just2 hits and a walk during his complete game shutout, striking out 7 Bulldogs to earn the win. For Georgia, Ficarrotta also went the distance, allowing 4 hits and one unearned run with 2 walks and 9 strikeouts. Clemson won by a final score of 1-0.

Game 2 saw significantly more offense from both teams, as Georgia jumped out to an early 6-0 lead through 2 innings. Watson Lavigno hit his 5th home run of the season, tieing him for 2nd in the country. The spark came from the bat of Daniel Weingarten who scored in both the 1st and 2nd innings after reaching on a pair of singles and stealing a pair of bases. Clemson battled back, via a 6 run 3rd inning to tie the score. Dominant relief pitching from Luke Walker (2.1 IP allowing just 1 hit with 5 strikeouts) and Justin Pannell (1 perfect inning) kept the Dawgs in it. With one out in the 6th, Kyle Sheahan sparked the Dawgs with a single to right, stole 2nd, and advanced to 3rd on a Daniel Weingarten single. Watson Lavigno came up big again, hitting a hard ground ball in the hole to shortstop which pushed across the run. Michael Elliott came in and earned his 3rd save of the season, allowing one hit in 1 inning of work. Georgia won by a final score of 7-6.

On Sunday morning’s rubbermatch, with a SAE Conference title and CWS berth on the line, Freshman Michael Elliott, who earned the save in Game 2, toed the rubber for Georgia. Elliott allowed just 1 hit and 1 walk through his first 5 innings of work. Georgia struck first in the 2nd inning, as back to back singles by Curtis Clark and Jonathan Pawlowski pushed Clete Wilson across the plate for a 1-0 lead. Again in the 3rd, Curtis Clark led off with a double and came around to score on a Kyle Sheahan sacrifice fly. In the top of the 6th, however, Elliott suffered his only 2 mistakes of the weekend. Following a error on the shortstop, Elliott allowed a single and triple sandwhiched around a walk. He later allowed a double with runners of first and third to Clemson first baseman Josh Milner. Clemson took a 3-2 lead on the double, but a great relay from Tyler Jones to Pawlowski at home plate cut down the 2nd runner. Jonathan Vines came in and gave the Dawgs excellent relief work, going 2.2 IP and allowing no hits while ringing up 3 strikeouts. Georgia bounced right back, however, in the bottom of the 7th with a Watson Lavigno triple, David Vernon RBI single to tie the game, and later a Jonathan Pawlowski RBI single to plate Vernon and take the lead, all of which came off of 1st Team All-American Matt Bedenbaugh. Georgia closer Luke Walker entered in the top of the 9th with a 4-3 lead, but could not hold it, blowing his first save of the year. A leadoff walk followed by a sacrifice bunt and run scoring single tied the score at 4 a peice. Walker battled back to strike out the next two batters and send Georgia to the plate in the 9th.  With one out in the bottom of the 9th, Georgia battled for back to back walks from Clete Wilson and Curtis Clark. Following a pop out to right field, Tyler Jones came up and singled to knock across pinch runner Adam Weingarten for his 2nd walk-off base hit on the season, giving the Georgia Bulldogs the Conference Championship. Georgia won by a final score of 5-4.

Georgia completes conference play next week with a 3 games series against Emory, destination still TBD.