No. 5 Georgia goes for sweep after triple play in Saturday Missouri win

Georgia baseball topped Missouri 5-2 on Friday and goes for a sweep on Saturday.

Lauren Tolbert / UGA

Posted 1 year ago

ATHENS — The No. 5-ranked Georgia baseball team goes for a sweep of No. 21 Missouri today at noon at Foley Field (Online: SEC Network-Plus).

The Bulldogs (32-8 12-5 SEC) beat the Tigers on Saturday 5-2, erupting for four runs in the first inning off Missouri starter Art Joven (3-1).

Georgia’s highlight of the night, however, was the triple play it turned in the first inning against the Tigers (26-14-1, 7-9-1).

Riley King made a leaping catch at the wall to trigger the play, firing the ball in to first baseman Patrick Sullivan.

The Bulldogs appealed the runner leaving third base early, and the runner was called out, constituting Georgia’s first triple play since 1963.

“Off the bat, I thought it going to be a grand slam, and Riley King makes a great catch against the wall,” UGA coach Scott Stricklin said in a release. “We throw it in and double up Misner getting back to first base, and then all of the sudden everyone in our dugout was yelling that he left early from third. I didn’t see it. We throw over and get a triple play.

“It was the first one in 56 years that we’ve had here at Georgia.”

Georgia opened the series with a 3-0 win over the Tigers on Thursday, and current boast the top league mark in the SEC.

On Friday, C.J. Smith got the start and went four innings, allowing both of the Tigers’ runs, before Cole Wilcox pitched the next four scoreless innings in relief.

Wilcox, who fanned five while allowing two hits and surrendering a walk, was credit with the win — his first decision of the season.