Four-Run First Too Much in Baseball’s 4-2 Loss to 10th-Ranked Georgia

Friday, April 22

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

6 p.m.

Alabama

23-16, 8-8

Georgia

27-11, 10-6

Georgia

Alabama

Four-Run First Too Much in Baseball’s 4-2 Loss to 10th-Ranked Georgia

4/22/2022 10:13:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Highlights Postgame Press Conference

The Crimson Tide battled for a pair of runs and had a chance to win it late

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball chipped away at an early four-run deficit but was unable to complete the comeback, falling 4-2 to 10^th-ranked Georgia on Friday evening at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The Crimson Tide is now 23-16 on the season and 8-8 in Southeastern Conference play.

Georgia put up a four-spot in the first, highlighted by a three-run home run from Cole Wagner. The two teams then went scoreless until the seventh when Alabama's Dominic Tamez led off the inning with a solo home run. William Hamiter followed suit in the next inning, starting the eighth with a solo homer of his own to make it a two-run ballgame. After Hamiter's homer, the Tide was able to reach a pair with two down before a flyout to deep center ended the rally. The ninth saw Alabama bring the tying run to the plate with one out, but a 3-6 double play ended things in Georgia's favor, 4-2.

Nolan Crisp (1-1) earned the win for Georgia, working 5.2 scoreless innings and allowing five hits with five strikeouts. Jack Gowen picked up his seventh save of the season, holding UA scoreless over the final 1.1 innings. Alabama starter Garrett McMillan (4-3) was charged with the loss, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Following a four-run first, McMillan settled in to allow just two hits over the next 5.0 innings and retired the final eight batters he faced. Hunter Furtado and Braylon Myers then entered out of the bullpen, keeping the Bulldogs off the board for the final 3.0 frames.

From Head Coach Brad Bohannon

"Garrett McMillan is our best pitcher; he is our dude. He came out tonight and was behind in the count to the first five batters of the game and that's not very typical of him. To Georgia's credit, they did a good job of making him pay for it. Now, to Garrett's credit, he did a great job after the first of settling in and really getting us to the middle of the game, putting up some zeros to give us a chance. If we would have been able to scratch a run or two here or there, it would have made a really big difference. Besides the top of the first, I thought it was a good college baseball game. It was very well played, very even, and we just did not do enough after the top of the first."

How It Happened

T1 | A sacrifice fly with the bases loaded crossed one for the Bulldogs. A three-run home run in the next at-bat from Cole Wagner added to the UGA advantage. (4-0, Georgia)
B7 | Dominic Tamez led off the frame with a solo shot to left to get the Tide on the board. (4-1, Georgia)
B8 | William Hamiter would cut into the lead with a solo home run to right. (4-2, Georgia)

Postgame Notes

Garrett McMillan punched out five in tonight's game and has struck out five-or-more batters in nine of his 10 total starts.
Alabama finished with 10 hits in the game. The Tide has recorded 10-plus hits in 22 games this season, including nine of the 16 SEC matchups.
With his 2-for-5 night, Drew Williamson has recorded a hit in five straight games. Over that streak, the senior is batting .409 (9-22) with a triple, a home run, four RBI, and three runs scored.
Williamson has reached base safely in 15 straight games dating back to March 27.
Dominic Tamez finished the game with a season-high tying three hits. Tamez also had three hits on three previous occasions, most recently on March 19 against Florida.
Zane Denton's hit streak ended at seven games. Over that streak, the junior batted .357 (10-28) with a double, four home runs, 10 RBI, six runs and five walks.
Denton's reached base streak ended at 10 straight games.
ATTENDANCE: 3,442

Alabama and Georgia will meet for game two of the series on Saturday afternoon at The Joe. The Crimson Tide calls on senior right-hander Jacob McNairy while the Bulldogs counter with junior righty Jonathan Cannon. Game two is set to start for a 2 p.m. CT first with the contest airing live on the SEC Network+.

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