No.4 Georgia tops South Carolina, 3-1

ATHENS — In a game where runs were hard to come by, fourth-ranked Georgia leaned on dominant pitching and a pair of timely home runs to secure another SEC series victory.

The Bulldogs defeated South Carolina 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Foley Field, clinching the series in front of 3,285 fans and improving to 22-6 overall and 6-2 in conference play.

Georgia’s pitching staff set the tone early — and never let up.

After South Carolina scratched across a run in the first inning on a bases-loaded walk, the Bulldogs turned to their bullpen and took control of the game from there.

Sophomore right-hander Paul Farley was the bridge Georgia needed, delivering 4.2 innings of one-hit, shutout relief while striking out four. His performance stabilized the game and allowed the Bulldogs to settle in offensively.

“Just consistency,” Farley said. “Consistency is the main thing I have been working on this year. The more consistent you are as a pitcher, the better you’re going to be.”

Georgia answered quickly after falling behind.

Sophomore Henry Allen tied the game in the second inning with a solo home run — his ninth of the season — providing the Bulldogs’ first spark against South Carolina starter Amp Phillips.

From there, the game turned into a battle of arms until Georgia broke through again in the sixth.

With the score still tied, sophomore Rylan Lujo delivered the decisive swing, launching a two-run home run — his fourth of the season — to give Georgia a 3-1 lead it would not relinquish.

“He threw me a pitch that I could do damage on,” Lujo said. “He had been staying away most of the game, but that one came into my sweet spot.”

Senior Matt Scott took care of the rest.

Entering in the sixth inning, Scott closed the door with authority, allowing just one hit while striking out five to improve to 5-0 on the season.

The Bulldogs’ pitching trio combined to limit South Carolina to minimal offense after the first inning, keeping the Gamecocks (13-15, 1-7 SEC) off the scoreboard for the final eight frames.

Georgia finished with six hits, with Lujo and Allen providing the key production at the plate.

While the Bulldogs secured the series, head coach Wes Johnson made it clear the focus remains on finishing the job.

“The message is the job is not done,” Johnson said. “You should know by the score of the first two games that these guys aren’t going to lay down. We need to come out here tomorrow and be focused.”

Georgia will look to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon at Foley Field, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. on SECN+.