Josh Morris

March 12, 2005

LOUISVILLE, KY.-----The 13th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs split a doubleheader with Louisville here Saturday at Cardinal Stadium.

The Cardinals (7-5) rallied back to win game one 7-6 while the Bulldogs (10-4) pounded Louisville 14-3 in a planned seven-inning nightcap.

In game two, Georgia jumped on Cardinal left-hander Skylar Meade who never made it out of the first. The Bulldogs scored four runs on six hits as the first five batters recorded singles. In the second, Georgia plated five more runs on five hits off Chris Lopez as sophomore Josh Morris (3-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI) delivered the big blow, a two-run home run that make it 6-1. In the fourth, the Bulldogs batted around, scoring five runs on three hits including a mammoth solo blast from Morris as Georgia built a 14-2 lead. Redshirt freshman catcher Joe Billick (3-for-3, 2 RBI), junior Jason Jacobs (1-for-2, 2 RBI) and freshman designated hitter Clay Whittemore (2-for-2, 2 RBI) all had big games offensively. Morris is now hitting .415 with five home runs and 19 RBI on the season to lead the Bulldogs. Georgia's 14 runs and 18 hits in the nightcap were season highs.

Junior right-hander Michael Hyle benefited from the great support as he tossed five innings and allowed just a pair of runs (1 earned) with two walks and five strikeouts for his first win of the season. Meade got the loss to fall to 2-1 as he recorded just one out in the first and surrendered four runs on six hits.

"I was proud of the way we bounced back in the second game," said Georgia coach David Perno. "The team is realizing that on the road you can't let the home team hang around, and we did that in the first game. In the second game, we had a couple of big innings early and responded out of the gate and that was huge for us."

"We're going to get better offensively," said Perno. "Our pitching and defense have been solid. I know Mitchell and Will struggled a bit today, but we know they're going to be real good for us just about every time out."

In game one, Georgia let one slip away as it led the entire game until two outs in the ninth . The Bulldogs, who stranded 11 runners on base, pushed a run across in the first. Senior shortstop Josh Smith (3-for-5, 2 R) led off the game with a base hit and took second when sophomore Jonathan Wyatt (2-for-4, 2 R) followed with a single. Sophomore Joey Side (2-for-5, RBI) popped up a bunt attempt for the first out. Sophomore Josh Morris was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bobby Felmy's slow roller to second brought Smith home but the Cardinals forced Morris at second. Derek Smith flew out to left to end the threat. The Cardinals answered in their half of the first when Boomer Whiting smacked his first career home run on a 3-2 offering from starter Sean Ruthven.

Georgia took a 3-1 lead in the third as Smith led off with a base hit, stole second, took third on a groundout by Wyatt and scored on a base hit by Side. A balk by right-hander B.J. Rosenberg moved Side to second. Morris lined a 2-1 pitch to centerfield for a run-scoring single to make it 3-1 Bulldogs.

In the fourth, sophomore designated Brandon Lowe, making his first start of the year, smashed his first career home run, a solo shot for a 4-1 advantage. Louisville got the run back in their half of the frame when Logan Johnson drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a two-out, double by Isiah Howes to make it 4-2.

Louisville went to the bullpen as Scott Jenkings came in for Rosenberg. Wyatt greeted him with a base hit and then went to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Morris laced a double down the left field line, scoring Wyatt for a 5-2 lead. After a leadoff walk to the number nine hitter shortstop Chris Cates and a run-scoring double by Whiting, Georgia lifted starter Sean Ruthven in favor of junior Will Startup. Whitting later scored when Georgia failed to turn a double play to bring the Cardinals back to within one at 5-4. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the sixth but managed to score just one run when Felmy was hit by a pitch.

The Cardinals tied the game in the seventh. Startup issued a base-loaded walk to Daniel Burton and then Jorge Castillo lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 6-6. Prior to that, the Bulldog bullpen had gone 16.2 innings over the last three games without giving up a run. Junior Mitchell Boggs came in for Startup in the eighth and breezed through the Cardinal lineup until two outs in the ninth.

Daniel Burton and Jorge Castillo ignited the two-out rally with base hits. Then, Isiah Howes lined a 2-2 offering down the right field line for a game-winning base hit as Burton trotted home for a 7-6 Cardinal victory. Sophomore right-hander Trystan Magnuson tossed two scoreless innings for his second win of the year while Boggs got the loss to fall to 1-1..

The three-game series concludes Sunday with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. The Bulldogs will start sophomore right-hander Brooks Brown (1-1, 3.46 ERA) while the Cardinals counter with sophomore right-hander Justin Valdes (0-3, 4.08).