The Georgia Bulldogs welcomed the Richmond Spiders to Foley Field for college baseball season’s opening day.
Scott Stricklin’s fourth-ranked Dawgs took an early lead, scoring one run in each of the first two innings. In the first, a Tucker Bradley single sent Ben Anderson home. The following inning, junior Cole Tate knocked a solo homer to left field, giving the home team a two-to-nothing lead.
Richmond answered immediately, scoring three runs in each the third and fourth innings, the latter of which featured a pair of two-run home runs. The Spiders’ scoring would end there.
The Bulldogs proceeded to answer Richmond’s answer, tallying one run in each the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Both teams failed to score in the eighth, and Georgia entered the bottom of the ninth inning trailing by one run.
Feeling the love from a full crowd on a beautiful Valentine’s Day evening, Georgia rallied in the ninth. Junior Garrett Blaylock (not to be confused with redshirt freshman Garrett Brown, not to be confused with me) evened the score with a solo home run to center, and a crucial dropped fly ball gave the Dawgs their chance to end the game.
With senior Randon Jernigan on base, Tate knocked in his third RBI of the night with a single to center, solidifying a dramatic first win of the season.
The Bulldogs and Spiders play a three-game weekend series. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. local time. Sunday’s is scheduled for 1:00. Both will air on SEC Network+.
