Senior Robbie Burnett and graduate Ryland Zaborowski each blasted three-run home runs, powering Georgia to a 10-4 comeback victory over Illinois-Chicago on Saturday at a sold-out Foley Field in Athens. Burnett’s go-ahead homer in the fifth inning, before a roaring crowd of 3,633, ignited the stadium and shifted the momentum — turning a four-run deficit into a decisive win.
Illinois-Chicago jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third, highlighted by Jackson Bessette’s two-run homer. Georgia, however, responded quickly. Daniel Jackson delivered a crucial two-run single, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Then, with runners on base in the fifth, senior Robbie Burnett launched a towering three-run homer to center field, putting Georgia ahead 5-4.
“We know we’re a good offense,” Burnett said. “We know that one through nine, one through 15, 16, however many guys, our whole offense is dogs. That’s just what we kind of try to bring to the table every day.”
Georgia extended its lead in the sixth with a run on a Flames’ throwing error. In the seventh, graduate Ryland Zaborowski sealed the victory with a monster three-run home run, estimated at 416 feet, making it 10-4.
The Bulldogs’ bullpen played a crucial role in the comeback. Junior Alton Davis II earned the win, pitching three scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Junior Matthew Hoskins notched his first career save, pitching 3.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
“Matthew Hoskins’ changeup was real today,” Johnson said. “We put work in on that thing and the change up was there, and then being able to throw that cutter there, that first time he came in to strikeout that guy, that was a nasty pitch, man.”
“I felt pretty good for the last couple of months. But that was one of the better outings I’ve had,” said Hoskins. “The cutter, I mean, that’s been my bread and butter for the last two or three years, even before I had surgery. I just try and work on the changeup every day, try and work on the slider, try and work on the cutter, fastball, just try and work on everything all the time.”
Illinois-Chicago managed seven hits and committed one error, struggling to contain Georgia’s offense. The comeback showcased Georgia’s offensive depth and resilience.
Georgia concludes the series against Illinois-Chicago on Sunday at 11 a.m.
