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No. 4 Georgia takes series opener at No. 13 Florida by score of 8-7

On3 imageby:Jake Rowe•03/21/25•

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Georgia Basebal Robbie Burnett
Georgia outfielder Robbie Burnett (10) -- ( Photo: Conor Dillon/UGAAA)

It’s incredibly tough to win on the road in the SEC but Georgia did exactly that on Friday night. The No. 4-ranked Bulldogs took down No. 13 Florida by a score of 8-7 to open the three-game set. UGA, which didn’t have a midweek game, is now 22-2 on the season and 3-1 in SEC play. The Gators fall to 18-6 overall and 0-4 in the conference.

Jordan Stephens got the win for Georgia despite allowing two runs in the bottom of the eighth to give up the lead. He’s now 3-0 on the year thanks to a two-run shot from Ryan Zaborowski in the top of the ninth. Zaborowski was one of four Georgia players with at least two hits in the game. Slate Alford and Kolby Branch are the other two.

Florida stuck first as most teams have against UGA this season. The Gators got three in the first off Charlie Goldstein, who ended up hurling 2.2 innings of four-run ball. He gave up four hits and walked three. Georgia had a quick answer.

The Bulldogs played four in the top of the second. Tre Phelps singled to lead off the inning and Nolan McCarthy followed by getting hit by a pitch. A walk to Hunter Henry loaded the bases before Devin Obee cleared them with a three-run double to tie the game at three. Georgia tacked on another with a hit from Branch to take a 4-3 lead.

Florida got one more off Goldstein in the third inning to tie the game. He gave up a solo home run to start the inning and but exited the game with two on and two out. JT Quinn came on to get the final out of that inning and handled himself quite well, throwing 2.1 innings of one-run ball.

Alford put the Bulldogs back on top 5-4 in their next at bat, delivering an RBI ground out to plate Christian Adams. Florida got another home run, it’s third of the game in the fourth. The solo shot from Luke Heyman tied it up at 5.

Each team’s pitchers were able to put up a couple of scoreless frames each but Georgia retook the lead in the top of the seventh. Robbie Burnett walked to start the inning and was moved all the way to third on Zaborowski’s single. Phelps drove him in with a sac fly and Georgia had its third lead of the game at 6-5.

That one held up until the bottom of the eighth thanks to two sterling innings from DJ Radtke. Stephens came on and gave up a bloop single to start the home half. Heyman followed with a line drive to center that was misplayed by McCarthy. It went all the way to the wall and scored Brody Donay from first to tie the game at sixth. The play was ruled a triple.

A sacrifice fly from Hayden Yost gave Florida its first lead since the first inning by a score of 7-6. Stephens was able to get out of the frame with no further damage.

Alford led off the top of the ninth with a single. Burnett was up next and got rung up on a couple of questionable calls, bringing Zaborowski to the plate. He fell behind 0-2 but battled back to even in the count before hammering a hanging slider over the right-centerfield fence to put Georgia on top 8-7.

Kolten Smith came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth and he walked the leadoff batter. A wild pitch moved the runner to second with no outs but Smith recorded a strikeout and a ground out before issuing his second free pass of the inning. He finished it off with three straight breaking balls, all garnering swings, to strike out Donay.

The Bulldogs and Gators will get right back at it on Saturday. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast by The SEC Network.

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