No. 3 national seed Georgia used a power-filled offensive attack and strong relief pitching to defeat Liberty 6-2 on Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament’s Athens Regional.
The Bulldogs improved to 48-12 and moved within one victory of advancing to the Super Regional round. Liberty fell into the elimination bracket and will need consecutive wins to keep its season alive.
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Georgia scored all six of its runs on home runs, getting long balls from Dan Jackson, Kenny Ishikawa, Ryan Wynn, Rylan Lujo and Brennan Hudson. The Bulldogs broke open a close game with timely power after Liberty kept pace through the middle innings.
Liberty threatened early against Georgia starter Dylan Vigue, who ran into trouble in the opening innings. The Bulldogs turned to their bullpen, and reliever Matt Scott stabilized the game with five strong innings, limiting the Flames’ offense and allowing Georgia’s lineup to take control. Justin Byrd closed the game and struck out four batters to secure the victory.
The Flames managed just three hits in the contest and were unable to generate sustained offense against Georgia’s pitching staff. Liberty entered the game after a dramatic 4-3 victory over Boston College in its regional opener on Friday.
Georgia, the host school and No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, advanced to the regional championship round and will face the winner of the elimination game between Liberty and Boston College. The Bulldogs need one more win to earn a berth in the Super Regionals.
Liberty’s season record fell to 42-20 with the loss. The Flames will face Boston College in an elimination game Sunday.