Link to Article on The Red & Black
By Olivia Sayer
Georgia teammates celebrate the final out during the final game of the NCAA Athens Regional between Georgia Tech and Georgia at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, June 2, 2024. Georgia won 8-6. (Photo/Mady Mertens; MadyMertensPhotography)
As the crowd rose to its feet, Leighton Finley delivered his pitch under the bright lights of Foley Field. With runners on first and second, the ball bounced down the third base line to Charlie Condon. He picked it up and threw it to Corey Collins at first to get the out. Pandemonium ensued.
The Bulldogs sprinted out of their dugout to swarm Finley on the mound. With chants of “U-G-A” reigning down, Georgia gradually moved its celebration to left field, where the signage that reads ‘2008’ sits on the outfield wall.
It was fitting that was the place Georgia celebrated advancing to its first Super Regional since the 2008 season. In 2008, the Bulldogs defeated Georgia Tech to accomplish the feat. Sunday evening, Georgia beat the Yellow Jackets 8-6 in extra-innings to advance. It was the first time in school-history Georgia won a Regional in three games.
“Pure joy,” Collins said of the celebration. “We fought all year to get here and brought it back home, defended our turf, and it was great to compete with these guys.”
Georgia scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning, when the Yellow Jackets threw a bunt attempt by Fernando Gonzalez wide of the first-base bag to score Tre Phelps. A few batters later, Collins followed with a two-RBI double to extend the lead and elicit deafening cheers from the 3,745 fans in attendance.
Finley took the mound for the bottom of the inning after the first two Yellow Jackets reached base. An infield single from Cam Jones loaded the bases for freshman sensation Drew Burress. Trying to protect a three-run lead, Finley got set.
“Leighton was not happy with his outing [on Friday],” head coach Wes Johnson said. “I looked at him and said, ‘Son, we’re going to need you at some point for three outs. I’m going to need three outs out of you between now and when this thing is over, so I want you not only to get your body ready but get your mind ready to go out there and do it.’”
Finley struck out Burress on five pitches and induced a sacrifice fly from Georgia Tech’s three-hole hitter. With two outs and runners on first and second, Finley got John Giesler to ground out to punch Georgia’s ticket to the Super Regionals.
Finley is very familiar with Georgia Tech, as his older-brother Jackson was a Yellow Jacket for three seasons under head coach Danny Hall.
“Since he’s almost part of the family, I’ll give him some credit for getting those guys out,” Hall said.
Playing as the visiting team, Georgia used the unusual status to jump on Georgia Tech. The first three Bulldog batters of the game reached base, as Georgia got out to a two-run lead in the top of the first. However, with runners on first and second, Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey made an unbelievable recovery on a wild pitch to catch the Bulldogs attempting to advance.
The play ended the inning, and Georgia went from having runners on second and third to walking back to its dugout.
The Yellow Jackets responded with a triple and single in the bottom of the first to trim Georgia’s lead to one. Facing his first sign of adversity, Zach Harris struck out consecutive batters to preserve the Bulldogs’ one-run lead.
Georgia Tech got to Harris in the bottom of the second inning. Lackey, who was hitting ninth, blasted a three-run homer to give the Yellow Jackets a two-run lead. Entering the game, Lackey had just a .213 batting average with three home runs this season.
With a runner on first, Johnson walked out to the mound for a visit. He instilled confidence in Harris, prior to facing Burress. The visit appeared to settle Harris back down, as he only allowed one run the rest of the game.
“Coach always has our back and harps on belief,” Harris said of the mound visit. “A coach that believes in you and always has your back no matter what happens. Pound the zone, let the defense do what they do and then obviously the hitters, they’re the best offense in the country, so calm yourself down a little bit was the message.”
Georgia’s belief in itself carried the team throughout the season. It is Johnson’s No. 1 rule and something he emphasizes with each individual player.
“I tell our players all the time, ‘you can’t ever hit the panic button,’” Johnson said. “It’s a long game. It’s the teams who can stay focused and understand that they have to get us out 27 outs as well that keep teams in games like this.”
Playing cool, calm and collected paid off for the Bulldogs late in the game. In the top of the eighth, Phelps blasted a 420-foot home run over the trees in left field to trim Georgia Tech’s lead to one. An inning later, Kolby Branch smashed a game-tying shot to bring the ballpark to decibel levels that rival Sanford Stadium.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about our fans,” Johnson said. “I’d rival what I saw tonight at Foley Field with any place in the SEC. It was loud, they were awesome and engaged.”
Charlie Goldstein took the mound in the bottom of the ninth for his first appearance since May 4. However, he left with the trainer after notably wincing after walking the Yellow Jackets’ leadoff batter. Johnson said that it’s “too early to tell” about the status of Goldstein.
Matthew Hoskins replaced Goldstein on the mound to make his fifth appearance of the season. Despite Hoskins’ 24 ERA, Johnson had confidence in him.
“We take the mindset that the hay’s never in the barn,” Johnson said. “You’ve got to keep working. These guys we’ll go with a very specific objective of things we need to get better at.”
After two quick outs, consecutive walks by Hoskins loaded the bases for Georgia Tech. With the game on the line, Johnson signaled to the bullpen for Chandler Marsh to come to the mound.
On a full count with the bases loaded and a tie ball game, Marsh delivered his pitch to Payton Green. The 95 mph ball to the outside of the plate got Green to bite, and he bounced it to Collins. Collins tossed the ball to Marsh, who despite slipping, got his foot on the bag to end the inning.
“[Marsh] did great to get over there and picked me up,” Collins said. “It wasn’t the greatest of throws, but his big ol [butt] got over there and caught it and made the play. I just reacted as we all do.”
The game-preserving play set up Georgia’s comeback in the 10th inning.
The Bulldogs will now face NC State in the Super Regional at Foley Field this weekend. The days and times of the series will be announced Tuesday at 10 a.m. Georgia will attempt to advance to its first College World Series in 16 years, when the Bulldogs also defeated the Wolfpack in Athens.