Georgia Takes A Pair of Games From Vanderbilt, 4-2 and 3-2 on Saturday

ATHENS, Ga. - Kyle Keen's walk-off bloop single in the bottom of the ninth gave Georgia a 3-2 win to cap off a pair of victories over Vanderbilt, Saturday, May 3 at Foley Field. The Bulldogs won the first game of the day, a halted contest that started on Friday evening, 4-2.

The pair of losses drops Vanderbilt to 22-22 overall and 10-13 in the Southeastern Conference. Georgia locks up its first series win of the year and improves to 25-22 overall, 7-16 in the league.

The Bulldogs trailed 2-1 entering the ninth inning of game two but each of the first two batters reached base off Commodore reliever Jensen Lewis (2-5). David Coffey singled and Lee Mitchell followed with a walk. A sacrifice bunt by Jon Armitage moved runners to second before Justin McClain was intentionally walked. With the bases loaded, Lewis coaxed Marshall Szabo into an infield fly for the second out of the inning. But Lewis plunked the next batter, Justin Holmes, to force in the tying run in Coffey. That brought up Keen, who blooped a 2-2 pitch into shallow center field for the game-winner.

Georgia's Brent Benefield earned the win (2-3) in relief. He struck out the only batter he faced in the ninth inning.

Vanderbilt grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth when Warner Jones doubled and John Kaye followed with a sharp run-scoring single to center field.

Overshadowed in the late-inning heroics was the pitching of Commodore starter Robert Ransom and Georgia starter Will Startup. Ransom allowed only three hits and an eighth-inning run while striking out six without a walk in seven and a third innings. He retired 11 in a row before running into trouble in the eighth.

Startup lasted eight and two thirds innings, scattering six hits, two runs (one earned) and five strikeouts without a walk.

Vanderbilt's Jones and Kaye recorded a pair of hits as did Georgia's Coffey.

Vanderbilt took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Tony Mansolino reached base on a fielder's choice and scored on a dropped fly ball by UGA left fielder Josh Smith that was hit by Jeff Boutwell.

Georgia evened the score in the eighth when Holmes singled and scored two batters later when Ned Yost delivered a triple to left center field that VU's Ryan Godfrey lost in the sun.

In the first game of the day, UGA's Mitchell hit a sixth-inning two-run home run and Armitage and McClain added two run-scoring hits in the bottom of the eighth as the Bulldogs won 4-2. The contest started Friday but was halted with two outs in the top of the third inning due to inclement weather.

Bulldog pitcher Michael Hyle (6-0) took the mound Saturday morning when the game resumed. He pitched the remaining six and a third innings, scattering five hits, two runs (both earned) and three walks to pick up the win. Commodore pitcher Ryan Mullins (3-7) took the loss. He also went the distance in the remaining six innings. He retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced before the Bulldogs started a two out rally in the sixth inning.

Coffey singled before Mitchell hit his ninth home run of the year, just clearing the right field wall to give Georgia a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs added two insurance runs in the eighth. Coffey reached on a fielder's choice and scored two batters later on Armitage's double into the alley in left-center field. Armitage came in on the following play when McClain singled to left field to make the score 4-2.

Vanderbilt got one run back in the ninth. Kaye led off the inning with a walk. Gil Kim entered the game as a pinch runner for Kaye and went all the way to third base on a failed pick off attempt by Hyle. Kim scored three batters later when Jonathan Douillard singled up the middle of the infield to make the score 4-2. However, the Commodores could not continue the rally.

Cesar Nicolas gave Vanderbilt a 1-0 lead in the sixth inning when he led off with his team-leading sixth home run of the season.

Sunday's series finale starts at 1 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcasted by WNSR 560 AM in Nashville.