The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Sports

MAY

As one of the top teams in the nation, the road can be a tough place to be when everybody is gunning for you.

Georgia found that to be true Wednesday night as the Diamond Dogs (32-9, 13-5 SEC) fell at Jacksonville State, 9-7, in what is one of the Gamecocks' most signature wins in the school's history. The loss was not the way Georgia wanted to begin its four-game road trip heading into its matchup against No. 11 Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., this weekend.

"We played a pretty good game, we swung the bat well, but we walked a few too many," Georgia head coach David Perno told 960 the Ref following the game. "We caught them mid-week when they only had one game and we had two, but we get another chance at them."

Georgia got out to a promising start, scoring the first two runs of the game in the first inning after a two-run home run by freshman Colby May, his 11th of the season. But Jacksonville State (23-14) would answer back with a two-run homer of its own to tie the game at 2-2.

Georgia would get three more runs in the next three innings, taking a 5-2 lead, but the Diamond Dogs fell apart in the fourth inning, allowing six runs to the Gamecocks on only four hits. Jacksonville State capitalized on two walks and a hit-by-pitch to start the inning off of Tyler Maloof, who earned the loss to go to 0-1 on the season. Chase Hawkins would relieve Maloof but would do no better, allowing the three runs he inherited to score on three hits.

"When they had their opportunity, they capitalized," Perno said. "Chase is just having a tough time and I don't know how to explain it. That's kind of the third time that things have crumbled around him ... He's just not ready to get it done."

Georgia cut the Gamecock lead to 9-6 going into the ninth inning but would only receive a leadoff home run from junior Matt Cerione and could get nothing done with the middle of the order coming to the plate.

May led Georgia with three hits and lifting his SEC freshmen leading average to .379. After his three home run performance against Kennesaw State Tuesday night, junior Rich Poythress was 1-5 with a double.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools