Georgia 8, Arkansas 7 - Final (10)
LJ Talley's one-out RBI single with the bases loaded scored Keegan McGovern to give Georgia the win and tie the series 1-1.
McGovern doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning. Arkansas players were adamant the ball was foul and the Razorbacks challenged, but the network camera did not have a good look down the line and the call was upheld upon review.
The rest of the 10th turned into a strategy session. The Razorbacks intentionally walked two and Georgia laid down a bunt, a sequence of events that loaded the bases with one out. Talley fouled off the first pitch before turning on one and sending it into left field through the gap between third base and shortstop.
Barrett Loseke gave a great effort in 4 1/3 innings, but he takes the loss. Aaron Schunk was the winner for Georgia.
The game lasted 5 hours, 45 minutes from start to finish, interrupted by a 2-hour, 2-minute rain delay between the fourth and fifth innings.
The Bulldogs out-played the Razorbacks after the rain delay when they trailed 6-5. Georgia put the leadoff hitter on base in each of the final five innings, continually putting pressure on Loseke to work out of jams.
Arkansas' base runners typically came with one or two outs, and double plays erased two of those. The best scoring opportunity was in the eighth when Casey Martin reached third base with two outs, but Luke Bonfield fouled out.
Perhaps the best thing that happened for Georgia was that Kacey Murphy was neutralized by the rain delay. He struggled in the first inning, but began to pick up steam afterward. He retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced before the two-hour delay.
The teams will play Game 3 tomorrow at 11 a.m., weather permitting. Arkansas is in the same situation as road series at Florida, Ole Miss and LSU, in which it won the opener and lost Game 2. The Razorbacks lost Game 3 in those other three series.
Nine of Arkansas' 10 SEC road losses have been by one or two runs.
Arkansas 7, Georgia 7 - Middle 10th Inning
Eric Cole hit a two-out single, but Casey Martin flied out to left field to end the inning. Arkansas has stranded 10 base runners tonight and is 6-for-22 with runners on base.
Arkansas 7, Georgia 7 - End 9th Inning
Barrett Loseke made one of the best defensive plays you will ever see from a pitcher to give the Razorbacks the upper hand in the ninth. After Georgia put a leadoff runner on with an error by the third baseman Casey Martin, C.J. Smith tried to bunt. But Loseke dove to catch the bunt in front of home plate, then had the presence of mind to fire to first to throw out the runner, who had gone about halfway between first and second. Loseke struck out Aaron Schrunk to end the inning, his second strikeout in four innings.
Jared Gates, Hunter Wilson and Eric Cole will bat for Arkansas in the 10th.
Arkansas 7, Georgia 7 - Middle 9th Inning
The Razorbacks came out swinging in the ninth. Dominic Fletcher struck out against Aaron Schunk, then Carson Shaddy and Grant Koch both field out.
The top of the Georgia order will bat against Barrett Loseke in the bottom of the ninth.
Arkansas 7, Georgia 7 - End 8th Inning
Eric Cole made a great diving (or was it falling?) catch straddling the line in right field to end the eighth. Cole had to cover a lot of ground to get to the ball that was going to be close to being fair. Georgia had a hit-and-run on, so the Bulldogs would have scored a run had it fallen fair.
Adam Sasser singled to lead off the inning, but Barrett Loseke got three straight fly outs to end the inning.
The Razorbacks will send Dominic Fletcher, Carson Shaddy and Grant Koch to the plate in the ninth.
Arkansas 7, Georgia 7 - Middle 8th Inning
Luke Bonfield fouled out down the right field line to strand Casey Martin at third base. The Razorbacks have stranded nine today.
Arkansas 7, Georgia 7 - Top 8th Inning
Eric Cole drew a one-out walk and Casey Martin doubled to give the Razorbacks runners at second and third. Heston Kjerstad grounded out up the middle to score Cole, and now Martin is at third with Luke Bonfield is coming to the plate.
Georgia is making a two-out pitching change. Bonfield had the go-ahead hit in the seventh last night. Can he do it again late in this game?
Georgia 7, Arkansas 6 - End 7th Inning
Georgia nearly added another run in the seventh, but Keegan McGovern was tagged out by Grant Koch on a ball that got past him. McGovern had reached third on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a balk and to third on a groundout.
Georgia 7, Arkansas 6 - Middle 7th Inning
Arkansas is not getting any good swings against C.J. Smith, who took over for Georgia after the rain delay. Grant Koch worked a two-out walk in the seventh, but Jared Gates grounded out to end the inning.
The Razorbacks have no hits since the rain delay ended and have only reached on an error, a hit by pitch and a walk. The top of the order will come back to the plate in the eighth.
Georgia 7, Arkansas 6 - Middle 6th Inning
C.J. Smith has done a good job of getting Arkansas to hit into ground balls since the rain delay. Heston Kjerstad was hit by a pitch with one out, but Luke Bonfield hit into Arkansas' second consecutive inning-ending double play.
Barrett Loseke will come in to pitch for the Razorbacks in the bottom of the sixth.
Georgia 7, Arkansas 6 - Bottom 5th Inning
The rain did little to cool off the Georgia bats. Keegan McGoverned singled with one out and Michael Curry smashed a Cody Scroggins breaking pitch to put the Bulldogs back ahead by a run. It was Curry's 30th career homer.
Barrett Loseke is warming in the Arkansas bullpen.
Arkansas 6, Georgia 5 - Middle 5th Inning
Jack Kenley reached on a one-out error for Arkansas, but the Bulldogs got out of the inning when Eric Cole grounded into a double play in the next at-bat.
Arkansas 6, Georgia 5 - Top 5th Inning
Georgia is bringing its center fielder, left-handed C.J. Smith, to the mound. Arkansas likely will throw Cody Scroggings in the bottom of the fifth.
Kacey Murphy's day is over after he allowed five runs on six hits. It is unfortunate for Arkansas because Murphy really looked like he was starting to settle in. He had retired nine of the past 10 hitters before the long rain delay.
Foley Field pretty well emptied during the rain delay. The rest of the game will be played in a mostly-empty stadium.
Arkansas 6, Georgia 5 - Rain Delay, 5:15 p.m. Update
Arkansas and Georgia will restart at approximately 5:50 p.m. That would make the delay right at two hours total.
Arkansas 6, Georgia 5 - End 4th Inning
Kacey Murphy worked around a one-out walk in the fourth. Now the teams are in a lightning delay.
It appears this band of severe weather should push through the Athens area quickly, but because there is lightning involved it will be at least 30 minutes before play resumes. SEC rules state that the game cannot be resumed until lightning has not been reported within 8 miles of the stadium for 30 minutes.
The most interesting aspect of the delay is whether Kacey Murphy will be able to pitch when it is over. He has been warmed up now for a little more than two hours. Georgia has already gone to the bullpen.
Arkansas 6, Georgia 5 - End 3rd Inning
Dave Van Horn mentioned last week how good Kacey Murphy has been at adjusting late in the game and becomes harder to hit the second and third time through the order. That was the case against Texas A&M last week and was the case today in the third inning.
Murphy sandwiched two strikeouts around a fly out for his first perfect inning of the game. He did it against Georgia's 4, 5 and 6 hitters.
The Bulldogs are making another pitching change in the top of the fourth. Rain is still falling, but it isn't a downpour and there is no lightning, so the teams are playing through. That probably is the best news for Arkansas if it wants to keep Murphy in this game for a while.
Arkansas 6, Georgia 5 - Middle 3rd Inning
Arkansas stranded two in the inning when Heston Kjerstad hit a snare back to the pitcher. The Razorbacks have stranded six through three innings.
Arkansas 6, Georgia 5 - Top 3rd Inning
The rain has stopped but the wet baseball might have helped Arkansas in the third. Dominic Fletcher walked in five pitches to lead off the inning and Grant Koch also drew a one-out walk. Both advanced on a wild pitch and scored to tie the game. Eric Cole's two-out RBI single gave the Razorbacks the lead.
Fletcher scored on a fielder's choice RBI by Jared Gates to the right side. Jack Kenley followed with a double off the right field wall. Kenley scored on Cole's hot shot back up the middle.
Arkansas has seven hits.
Georgia 5, Arkansas 3 - End 2nd Inning
Like Grant Koch in the top of the second, Mitchell Webb doubled to lead off the bottom of the second. He scored after a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to push the Bulldogs' lead back to two runs.
On the sacrifice fly to left, Dominic Fletcher called off Heston Kjerstad and tried to throw out the runner at the plate. That probably was not the right decision, however, because Fletcher, who is left-handed, had to throw back against his body, which caused the throw to go off line.
Kacey Murphy has really had to labor through two innings. He has given up five runs on six hits and his pitch count is in the 40s.
The rain is beginning to fall in Athens, but not hard enough to stop play yet. There is an increasing chance of rain throughout the afternoon and night. The long innings - the first two took 70 minutes - was not ideal today.
Georgia 4, Arkansas 3 - Middle 2nd Inning
Georgia made a pitching change and got out of the inning without more damage. Zac Kristofak fell behind 3-1 against Heston Kjerstad, but struck him out looking at a pair of borderline fastballs that were low and away in the zone. The inning ended when Luke Bonfield put a good swing on a pitch, but the left fielder made an awkward looking catch in the air.
The final line on Georgia starter Emerson Hancock: 1 1/3 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts.
Georgia 4, Arkansas 3 - Top 2nd Inning
The Razorbacks have bounced back from that big Georgia at-bat. Grant Koch doubled, advanced to to third on a single by Jared and scored on Eric Cole's single in front of the center fielder. Casey Martin followed with a one-out walk to load the bases for Heston Kjerstad, who homered in the first inning.
Both teams have five hits already.
Georgia 4, Arkansas 2 - End 1st Inning
A fifth Georgia single - by Mason Meadows - scored Adam Sasser from second base, but Cam Shepherd was thrown out trying to go first to third.
That was a long inning for both pitchers.
Georgia 3, Arkansas 2 - Bottom 1st Inning
Georgia has hit Kacey Murphy well in the first inning and benefitted from an error to take a 3-2 lead.
Aaron Schunk's two-run home run in the Bulldogs' second at-bat tied the game. C.J. Smith had struck out to lead off the inning, but he reached first on Murphy's wild pitch.
Adam Sasser's one-out RBI single scored Keegan McGovern, who singled. Murphy has given up four hits to six batters.
It should be noted that Murphy seems to struggle early in games, but tends to settle down the second time through the order. That was the case during his scoreless outing against Texas A&M last week.
Arkansas 2, Georgia 0 - Top 1st Inning
Arkansas continues to swing the hot bat early in this game. Heston Kjerstad's two-run home run over the right field wall has given the Razorbacks the lead. He crushed it over the short porch in right, which measures 314 feet down the line.
Eric Cole drew a leadoff walk to put a runner on for Kjerstad. Luke Bonfield followed the home run with a single and stole second base.