The special and amazing ride ended for the Diamond Dawgs in the College World Series on Wednesday night in Omaha, Neb., as Georgia’s fortunes ran out of gas in an 11-4 loss to Oklahoma. The Sooners now advance to face North Carolina in the CWS Championship Series.
Thus ends a magical season for Georgia, one in which records were set for wins and homers as Foley Field became an even more special place that it is by default given that it exists within Athens, Ga. during the springtime.
For the first time since 2008, Georgia found itself in college baseball’s holy land. In perhaps a cruel twist of irony, the Bulldogs, who had a 53-win season, were done in on Wednesday by the very thing that helped define them this season. Georgia may have won the SEC regular-season and tournament title. But the Sooners, who lost multiple SEC weekend series and lasted one game in the SEC Tournament, kept up a postseason hot streak at Georgia’s expense, smacking five homers against Georgia pitching on Wednesday.
Such is the cruel mistress of the College World Series. Sometimes, the team that steamrolls in comes up short to a team that catches fire at the right time – a truth Georgia knows well on both sides from its CWS history.
Speaking of homers – the long ball, something that powered Georgia all season long, apparently got lost somewhere over the flyover states on the way to Omaha, as the Dawgs had to scrape and scrounge for runs in Omaha, something that makes the fact of getting two wins there over Texas impressive. A load of credit, obviously goes to Georgia’s pitchers.
That trend continued on Wednesday as UGA didn’t get on the board until a fifth-inning Ryan Black RBI single, the first frame in which Georgia had more than one runner aboard.
By then, the Bulldogs were playing catch up, down 4-1 after starting pitcher Paul Farley went 3.1 innings before giving way to Matt Scott. Farley gave up four runs and six hits before Scott’s four runs saw him yield four runs and five hits in four innings.
The Bulldogs got back in it in the fifth, taking advantage of a pair of bases-loaded walks to trail 5-3. But a single Sooner run in the seventh and two homers in the eighth by OU helped the Sooners put the night away, ending hopes of the program’s second national title.
But as much of a letdown as the loss was, there was a bit more of Diamond Dawg magic. Yes, the game was wrapped up in the ninth, but Kolby Branch’s final at-bat was one to remember, as he blasted a ninth-inning homer.
The outcome on Wednesday was disappointing for the Bulldogs and fans watching from near and far, but Branch’s blast was a reminder – that this team was special and will be one of Georgia baseball’s most revered.
Go Dawgs!
