Georgia stays alive, sets rematch with Sooners

OMAHA, Neb. — Georgia’s season lives on, but the Bulldogs’ toughest challenge may still be ahead.

Junior right-handers Dylan Vigue and Justin Byrd combined on a four-hit shutout Tuesday night as third-ranked Georgia eliminated sixth-ranked Texas 2-0 in a College World Series elimination game at Charles Schwab Field.

The victory kept Georgia’s national championship hopes alive, but the Bulldogs now face a daunting task. To reach the College World Series Finals, Georgia must defeat Oklahoma twice in the next two days, beginning Wednesday night.

The win was significant on multiple fronts.

Georgia improved to 53-13, setting a school record for victories in a season and surpassing the mark established by the Bulldogs’ 1990 national championship team. It also marked Georgia’s first shutout in the College World Series since Dave Fleming blanked Mississippi State 3-0 in Omaha 36 years ago.

Now the Bulldogs must beat Oklahoma on Wednesday and again Thursday to advance to the College World Series Finals.

“We knew it was going to be a pitching duel,” Georgia coach Wes Johnson said. “With the conditions and the flags blowing in like they were, I know some balls were hit hard and didn’t make it to the warning track.”

Johnson was right.

Runs were nearly impossible to come by as Georgia and Texas traded scoreless innings behind a pair of dominant starting pitchers.

Texas starter Luke Harrison was electric, striking out 11 Bulldogs in 5 2/3 innings.

But Georgia’s staff was even better.

Vigue, making one of the biggest starts of his career, attacked from the opening pitch. The junior allowed just two hits over four scoreless innings while striking out eight and walking two.

The performance was especially meaningful for Vigue, who has battled through injuries and inconsistency during the past month.

“Coach Johnson told me before the game this is why you’re here, for moments like this,” Vigue said. “The past month hasn’t been how me or anybody else wanted it to go for me, but just to have Coach Johnson’s belief in me ignites a flame in me.”

Georgia finally broke through in the fifth inning.

Senior Brennan Hudson drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on the first sacrifice bunt of senior Kolby Branch’s career. After a groundout moved Hudson to third, senior third baseman Tre Phelps delivered the game’s biggest hit to that point, ripping a run-scoring double for a 1-0 lead.

Phelps had struck out in each of his first two at-bats but refused to let frustration creep in.

“Wes talked to us before the game and said no matter if you’re 0-for-5 or 5-for-5, I want to see you have fun,” Phelps said. “I was 0-for-2 with strikeouts and just told myself, ‘Let’s get to the next at-bat and have fun.'”

Moments after Georgia grabbed the lead, the Bulldogs faced another critical moment.

Vigue issued a leadoff walk in the fifth, prompting Johnson to summon Byrd from the bullpen.

The move proved decisive.

Byrd entered and immediately attacked the strike zone, preventing Texas from building any momentum. The junior right-hander scattered two hits over five scoreless innings while striking out four to earn the victory and improve to 6-2.

“Justin Byrd came in and attacked the strike zone, forced contact and early swings, and that was a key,” Johnson said.

Georgia added a valuable insurance run in the seventh.

Ryan Black reached base and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Rylan Lujo. Texas shortstop Adrian Rodriguez made a difficult catch on a shallow pop fly after colliding with left fielder Anthony Pack Jr., but Black raced home and slid in safely ahead of the throw to make it 2-0.

That was more than enough support for Byrd.

The Bulldogs closed out the victory for their seventh shutout of the season and the 32nd time this year they have held an opponent to three runs or fewer.

As Johnson noted afterward, Georgia even turned to a rarely used strategy to manufacture runs in a game where offense was at a premium.

“As crazy as this sounds, we bunted tonight,” Johnson said with a smile. “That was our third sacrifice of the year. It was just going to be that kind of night.”

The win also extended Georgia’s stay in Omaha and set up a rematch with Oklahoma.

The Sooners handed Georgia an 8-6 loss in the Bulldogs’ College World Series opener Saturday, forcing them into the elimination bracket.

Now Georgia must beat Oklahoma on Wednesday night and again Thursday to earn a spot in the College World Series Finals, which begin Saturday.

The challenge is steep, but after watching Vigue and Byrd combine for nine shutout innings against one of the nation’s top offenses, the Bulldogs have earned the opportunity.

For at least one more night, Georgia’s championship dream remains alive.