Tigers Roughed Up In Athens

by TigerNet Staff - Tue Apr 01 23:59:42 GMT-04:00 2008

ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia jumped on the Tigers early with nine runs in the first four innings and cruised to an 11-3 victory over Clemson in front of 3,432 fans at Foley Field on Tuesday night. Every Bulldog starter had at least one hit, as the team totaled 13 hits in the game. Georgia improved to 16-10, while Clemson dropped to 18-9.

Georgia starter Alex McRee (3-1) earned the win, as he pitched 4.0 innings in a scheduled short start. He allowed no hits, no runs, and two walks with seven strikeouts. Craig Gullickson (3-1), the first of six Clemson pitchers, suffered the loss, as he allowed four hits, five runs (two earned), and two walks with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead. All the Bulldogs needed were a leadoff single and a couple of Tiger miscues. Ryan Peisel led off with a single up the middle and stole second base after Gullickson had him picked off. Matt Olson walked and Gordon Beckham hit a grounder to first. Ben Paulsen booted the ball, allowing the Bulldogs to load the bases with no outs. Peisel then scored on a wild pitch and Olson came around to score when catcher Doug Hogan's throw to the plate went into the Georgia dugout. Rich Poythress followed with a groundout to second to plate Beckham.

Joey Lewis led off the second inning with a home run to right-center, his third of the season. Three batters later, Peisel reached on a two-out, bunt single and went to second on a throwing error. Peisel scored after two different balks by Gullickson.

The Bulldogs added to their lead with four runs in the fourth inning. Michael Demperio reached with one out on a hit-by-pitch, stole second, and scored on Olson's two-out triple off the wall in left-center, the first of four two-out hits by Georgia. Beckham followed with a single through the left side to plate Olson. After stealing second, Beckham scored on a double by Poythress. Bryce Massanari then hit a single off the glove of third-baseman Kyle Parker to score Poythress.

The Tigers finally dented the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Matt Sanders and Chris Epps led off with walks and Mike Freeman loaded the bases with a hit-by-pitch. Jeff Schaus' sacrifice fly then plated Sanders.

Georgia responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Lewis led off with a double to right-center and advanced to third on Adam Fuller's bloop single to right-center. Two batters later, Lewis scored on Peisel's groundout to second.

In the top of the sixth inning, Paulsen and Parker led off with walks, and they both moved up a base on a wild pitch. Wilson Boyd followed with a single up the middle to score Paulsen and Parker.

Poythress upped Georgia's lead to 11-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning when he hit a solo home run to left field, his sixth of the season.

Poythress paced the Bulldogs with a homer, double, and three RBIs. Boyd led Clemson with two RBIs.

Clemson will play host to Georgia at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Wednesday at 7:15 PM.