Feed the trees.
It’s the slogan etched on the whiteboard in Georgia baseball’s dugout at Foley Field. In Saturday’s 14-4 victory over Vanderbilt, that motto became a reality. The Bulldogs blasted four home runs, and three of them landed in the trees.
“We always just mess around,” Corey Collins said of the team’s mantra. “It’s on our little whiteboard—be on time and swing up.”
Swinging up allows batters to consistently square the ball up, which Tre Phelps displayed in the second inning. The freshman loudly put Georgia on the board with a two-run shot to the neighboring Dan Magill Tennis Complex. While Phelps’ stat line showcases an impressive first season, it is his work ethic that continues to impress head coach Wes Johnson.
“Tre is full of energy,” Johnson said. “He studies, he works really hard. “He really observes and watches the game and then studies the pitchers, so I’ve been really proud of him.”
Although its power is a strength, Georgia’s offense can score in a variety of ways. In the third, an RBI-single from Slate Alford and a bases-loaded four-pitch walk gave the Bulldogs a four-run lead.
It looked to be smooth sailing for both Georgia’s offense and Charlie Goldstein, who was back in the starting rotation for the first time since March 29 due to shoulder fatigue. Through 2.2 innings, Goldstein was rolling with three strikeouts and only two hits allowed.
After throwing a strike to RJ Austin in the third, Johnson and trainer Zach Adams paid a visit to the mound. A short conversation later, Goldstein’s afternoon was finished. After the game, Johnson said Goldstein had a “little cramp” in his tricep that wouldn’t calm him down.
Johnson noticed the discomfort after Goldstein began doing different movements with his arm. He will be reevaluated on Sunday, but Johnson believes the left-hander will be “fine.”
Goldstein’s early exit opened the door for Vanderbilt to make some noise. A single in the fourth put the Commodores on the board, while consecutive home runs off of Christian Mracna tied the game.
The top of Georgia’s lineup responded by loading the bases at the bottom of the fourth, but a 73-minute weather delay temporarily halted the Bulldogs’ rally.
The raindrops did not slow down Georgia, however, as a groundout off Alford’s bat and a passed ball gave the Bulldogs a two-run lead after play resumed.
Following consecutive singles to begin the fifth, Fernando Gonzalez laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position. His effort turned out to be in vain, as Collins cleared the bases with a 427-foot shot to the trees. The home run gave Georgia a 9-4 lead over a perennial powerhouse baseball program.
“They’re still Vanderbilt,” Collins said of what it meant to take the series from the Commodores. “They’re the Yankees of college baseball. “They’re always good, and they’re always a great squad.”
Two innings later, Charlie Condon homered in his sixth straight game to extend Georgia’s lead to seven. The NCAA leader is now just one long ball away from tying the 21st century record of home runs in a single season set by Florida’s Jac Caglianone and Gonzaga’s Nate Gold.
Kolby Branch began the bottom of the eighth with a round-tripper of his own for his 15th homer of the season. Gonzalez then called game with a 2-RBI triple to secure Georgia’s second consecutive run-rule victory.
Solid pitching backed the Bulldogs’ powerful offense, as Kolten Smith’s four scoreless innings in relief earned him the win. He followed Mracna with six strikeouts and no walks in his one-hit performance. Smith’s quiet confidence on the mound stood out to his teammates.
“Just really trusting the stuff,” Collins said of Smith’s recent success. “He’s worked on the stuff all year, multiple different pitches that he’s thrown for a strike. And it’s just really showing. “He gets out there, he gets in the zone, and I don’t even think he says a word when he’s pitching.”
Georgia will go for the sweep of No. 13 Vanderbilt on Sunday at 1 pm
