The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Liberty Flames 6-1 on May 31 to claim the NCAA Athens, Ga., Regional at Foley Field. The win advances Georgia, the No. 4 national seed and No. 3-ranked team, to an NCAA Super Regional next week.
Liberty took an early lead in the first inning when Jaxon Sorenson singled home Riley DeCandido against Georgia starter Caden Aoki. Both starting pitchers held their opponents in check through six innings, with Cooper Harrington limiting Georgia to one hit over five frames.
In the sixth inning, Ty Phelps of Georgia hit a two-run home run following a hit-by-pitch to Ryan Black, giving the Bulldogs a lead they would not relinquish. Zach Brown entered in relief for Georgia and pitched three scoreless innings to secure the victory.
Riley DeCandido led all hitters by going 3-for-4 and scoring Liberty’s only run. Nick Barone contributed two doubles for Liberty as well. Harrington took the loss after allowing two runs on three hits over six and one-third innings with six strikeouts and no walks.
Georgia added four more runs in the eighth inning through home runs by Michael O’Shaughnessy and key hits from Fernando Lujo and Drew Wyn. Daniel Jackson, named SEC Player of the Year, had two hits and scored once for Georgia.
Liberty finishes its season at 43-21, tying program records for most wins in a single season alongside its teams from 2011 and 2019. The Flames also reached their third regional final in program history this year.
