Georgia baseball’s extraordinary season ended Monday in game three of the Athens Super Regional.
It just wasn’t meant to be for the home team, which boasted one of the nation’s top offenses this season, as North Carolina State topped the baseball Bulldogs 8-5 in a slugfest before a sold-out crowd at Foley Field. With the win, the Wolfpack moves on to the College World Series in Omaha later this week.
Georgia head coach Wes Johnson led the program to a 43-17 overall record in his first year at the helm. After the game, Johnson said he was proud of his players’ efforts against a tough N.C. State team.
“You’ve just got a bunch of guys who got together and started believing in themselves and believing in each other. You do that, and as I’ve said for many years, there’s talent in this league,” Johnson said. “If you can get the right group together and get them to believe in themselves, play with confidence, and go out there and take the training we put them through daily, you have a chance.”
Georgia was trounced in game one of the series 18-1 but dominated game two, winning 11-2 to force a third and deciding showdown.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for the Bulldogs in the rubber match. Their pitching and hitting struggled against a stout No. 10 Wolfpack squad, which improved to 38-21 overall with the playoff victory.
N.C. State’s bats were hot, especially the top three hitters in the lineup: Eli Serrano III, Garrett Pennington, and Alec Makarewicz. The trio lifted the Wolfpack offense in a must-win game three on the road in Athens, going a combined 10-for-15 at the plate, along with six-hole hitter Alex Sosa.
The Bulldogs took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second after freshman Trey Phelps sent one over the fence. But the lead didn’t last long as the Wolfpack tied the contest when Pennington blasted a two-run homer.
Georgia starter Zach Harris struggled in the fourth until Kolten Smith replaced him. N.C. State added two more in the fourth inning and never looked back, adding four more runs before the game ended.
Georgia battled but could never take advantage of runners in scoring positions. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with one out, but could not pull through. Georgia’s star slugger Charlie Condon struck out, and clean-up hitter Slate Alford grounded out to end the threat.
Georgia later scored one run each in the sixth and seventh innings but stranded runners on the base path in both.
Trailing 8-4 entering the bottom of the ninth, Condon, the nation’s leader in home runs, hit a solo shot, his 37th of the year, but it wasn’t enough. He struggled in the series, going 1-for-11 at the plate.
“It’s a melting pot of emotions right now. I’m proud of this group and what we were able to accomplish. I’m really thankful to have been a part of it,” said Condon, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s MLB Draft. “It’s been a long ride since I got here. I’m just incredibly thankful for this university and this program, my coaches and teammates, and everyone who put their time and resources into my development and promoting me the best they could.”
Georgia and its head coach hope to build on this season after exceeding expectations this year.
“We have to continue to go out and recruit to continue to get good quality players in here that fit our ballpark,” Johnson said. “If you do that, you put yourself in a position every year to have success.”