Alabama Baseball's Bats Remain Cold Against No. 14 Georgia in 3-0 Loss

The Crimson Tide batting order recorded just two hits on the afternoon against the Bulldogs.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama baseball's bats continued to be cold on Saturday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium as the Crimson Tide recorded just two hits against the No. 14 Georgia Bulldogs, leading to a 3-0 loss.

The loss for Alabama means a win of the series for Georgia, who also bested the Crimson Tide on Friday night. Alabama has now lost four games in a row, with its last win being back on April 15 at No. 1 Tennessee.

"Obviously a tough loss today," Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon said. "The wind was blowing in and it's tough to score on days like that. It's more important than ever to smother the team with strikes.

"They got a big hit in the third and we didn't really get any hits and that's kinda the story of the game."

The first two innings of the game went by scoreless, with Alabama not recording a baserunner and Georgia leaving two runners on base. However, that all changed in the top of the third when a two-out bases-loaded double by Georgia third baseman Parks Harber scored three runs for the Bulldogs and gave them a 3-0 lead.

Despite giving up the three-run third, Alabama starting pitcher Jacob McNairy performed adequately. Through six innings pitched, the three runs would be the only surrendered McNairy, who gave up a total of seven hits while walking one batter and striking out five.

On the mound for Georgia to start the game was junior pitcher Jonathan Cannon, and he lived up to his name over the first five innings of the game. Throwing just 66 pitches over five innings, Cannon allowed no runs, no hits, walked none and struck out six batters — absolute perfection on the mound.

"Jonathan Cannon was just outstanding," Bohannon said. "He would have been good against any team today in any ballpark. [...] He dominated. We were just overmatched for five innings."

However, despite pitching a perfect game and with a relatively low pitch count, Cannon was relieved in-between the fifth and sixth innings, replaced by reliever Luke Wagner.

Wagner's first pitch was hit by Alabama catcher Dominic Tamez, giving the Crimson Tide its first baserunner of the game. However, Wagner was able to get out of the jam and keep Alabama off of the scoreboard.

In the seventh, the Crimson Tide was able to get the bases loaded with Bulldogs reliever Chandler Marsh on the mound, but a flyout to the warning track in right field was caught to once again stymie Alabama's attempt at a comeback.

The Crimson Tide bats remained cold through the eighth, with Bulldogs reliever Chandler Marsh retiring the Alabama side in order. In the ninth, Georgia closer Jack Gowen kept up the pace with a 1-2-3 inning and clinching the series for the Bulldogs with a 3-0 win.

Cannon (7-1) was credited with the win on the mound for Georgia, while Gowen (8) picked up the save. McNairy (4-2) was saddled with the loss for Alabama.

With the loss, Alabama drops to 23-17 on the season and now has a losing record in SEC play at 8-9. Georgia rises to 28-11 on the year with the win and is now 11-6 in the conference. The Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs will play one final time on Sunday in the series finale (1 p.m. CT, ESPN2).

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