Georgia Sweeps Easter Doubleheader, Handing No. 10 Kentucky First Series Loss of Season

The Wildcats were stymied by a pair of crafty left-handers on Sunday afternoon in Athens.

It took eight weekends for Kentucky baseball to lose a series in the 2023 season, but the sentiment won't make a pair of Sunday losses any sweeter for head coach Nick Mingione and the Bat Cats. 

Behind two dominant outings from Bulldog left-handers, UGA held Kentucky to a total of nine hits and two runs in 14 innings, winning 3-0 and 6-2 in an Easter doubleheader, handing UK its first losing streak of the year. 

The losses bring Kentucky's record to 27-5 (9-3 SEC), sucking away the momentum that came from its series-opening win at Foley Field on Friday afternoon. 

GAME ONE: Liam Sullivan shuts down the Bat Cats

One major baserunning mistake proved detrimental for the Wildcats in game one, as Georgia (18-14, 3-9) lefty Liam Sullivan allowed just four hits on the day, three of which came off the bat of right fielder Nolan McCarthy. 

Scoreless in the top of the second, Kentucky was in business thanks to a pair of leadoff walks from Sullivan. A fielder's choice off the bat of Ryan Waldschmidt saw a force out at third for the first out of the inning. 

McCarthy proceeded to smoke a pitch to the wall in center, but as he turned to go to second base, Waldschmidt was still at second, while 1B Hunter Gilliam was at third. McCarthy continued his next 90 feet, as Waldschmidt became the odd man out, getting tagged between second and third once the ball was thrown back in the infield for out No. 2. 

Sullivan then hit designated hitter Reuben Church to load the bases, but shortstop Grant Smith grounded out to second, stranding the runners and squandering a big opportunity for the Bat Cats. 

Kentucky starting left-hander Tyler Bosma retired the first six batters he faced, but ran into some trouble in the bottom of the third. Second baseman Will David led off a base hit to left and was then driven home by the No. 9-hole hitter Josh Stinson. The UGA right fielder took the first pitch of the at-bat down the left-field line for a double and only his fifth RBI of the season. 

Following a two-out walk, Condon slashed a single through to right field, bringing home Stinson to make it 2-0 Bulldogs. That was all the help Sullivan needed.

Kentucky threatened in the top of the fourth, as Waldschmidt doubled with one out before McCarthy reached to put runners on the corners. Sullivan ducked the damage as he got Church to ground into an around-the-horn double play to end the frame. The Bat Cats went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position in game one. 

Sullivan cemented his dominance in the top of the sixth, as following a strikeout of Waldschmidt, the junior let out a roar toward the Kentucky dugout as he made his way off the mound, earning a warning from the umpires. 

Georgia's lead grew to 3-0 in the bottom half, as a walk and hit batsman from Kentucky reliever Austin Strickland led to David's second single of the day, then an RBI chopper from SS Mason LaPlante that went as a fielder's choice with the bases loaded. 

McCarthy led off the seventh with a double, but two strikeouts and a fly out led to just UK's second shutout loss of the season, dating back to its season-opening loss against Elon. Bosma (4-2) was tabbed with his second loss, allowing the two earned runs on five hits across three innings, getting out-dueled by Sullivan (4-1), who's final line read — 7 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 8 K. 

Little did Kentucky know, the ending of game one only served as an intermission for a severely dull day at the plate.

GAME TWO: Charlie Goldstein follows suit as the Bulldogs sweep the doubleheader

Redshirt junior Charlie Goldstein didn't see the mound last season for the Bulldogs and had been shaky in seven appearances in 2023. He was handed the ball for the rubber match, asked to follow the stellar outing that his fellow lefty Sullivan had just put on. 

He didn't match it, but he came close. Before Kentucky knew it, the Sunday arm for the Dawgs had flung five scoreless innings of one-hit baseball, propelling his team to its first SEC series win of the season while simultaneously handing UK its first series loss in-conference. 

Kentucky cut a 4-0 lead in half in the sixth, finally getting to Goldstein for three singles, the third of which saw the UGA shortstop Sebastian Murillo throw the ball into right field, allowing Jase Felker and Devin Burkes to race home. 

With life, Gilliam stepped to the plate and battled, nearly tying the game with one big swing. He took a pitch the other way to right field and over the wall, but the wind pushed it just a few feet to the right of the foul pole. He and Waldschmidt were then struck out looking by UGA reliever Leighton Finley to end the top half of the inning. 

Georgia pushed the lead right back to four in the bottom of the inning, as RHP Seth Chavez entered the game for Kentucky and allowed a pair of solo homers, one to Murillo and the other to LF Connor Tate — his first hit of the series. 

Chavez didn't finish the inning, as the hard-throwing ETSU transfer motioned to the UK dugout after giving up a single to Condon following the second home run, taking off his glove and eventually walking off with trainers. 

Kentucky upped its hit total in game two by just one, collecting five measly singles. Kentucky starter Zack Lee was hit with his first loss of the year, allowing four earned in three innings. Georgia 3B Parks Harber lined a three-run home run the other way over the wall in right in the bottom of the first. 

Goldstein earned his first win, finishing with 5.1 IP, striking out seven while allowing only four hits and a walk. Kentucky had only three baserunners through the first five innings.

Kentucky has no time to let the pair of losses sting, as it gets right back on the road for four more games in the upcoming week. On Tuesday, it will head to Jim Patterson Stadium for the first of two games against Louisville this season. Following the rivalry battle, the Wildcats will fly south for a monumental three-game set against No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge. 

First pitch between the Cats and Cards on April 11 is set for 6 p.m. EST. The game will be televised on the ACC Network. 

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