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Georgia rides record-setting grand slam from Kolby Branch to regional round win vs. UNCW
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Georgia made it through its regional opener against Army with a fair amount of drama Friday evening. There would be no such drama against UNC Wilmington, thanks in large part to a record-setting blast from Kolby Branch.
With Saturday’s game tied at 1-run apiece entering the 2nd inning, the Bulldogs mounted a big-time threat with a single, hit by pitch and walk loading the bases with one out. That brought Branch to the plate, and he was up to the task.
Branch drilled a 1-0 pitch to the opposite field, a grand slam that was tracked at 407 feet and 105 MPH off the bat. It put Georgia up 5-1 early on, a lead the Bulldogs would not relinquish the rest of the way.
KOLBY BRANCH GRAND SLAM!!!#GoDawgs | @KolbyBranch pic.twitter.com/blonPDj7xH
— Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) June 1, 2024
Not only did Branch’s blast pave the way for Georgia to reach the regional finals, but it also set a program record. Branch now has 4 grand slams on the season, setting the Bulldogs’ single-season record for most grand slams by a single player.
@KolbyBranch inked himself into Georgia history after mashing his fourth grand slam of the season.#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/PWh4GXfdae
— Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) June 1, 2024
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Branch’s grand slam was his only hit of the night but he also scored 2 runs with a walk. Slate Alford led Georgia with 3 hits while Charlie Condon had a rare 0-for-4 evening.
On the mound, a trio of relievers produced 5 scoreless innings for Georgia by scattering 4 hits and 4 walks to keep UNCW in check.
With the 11-2 win, Georgia is safely into the finals for the Athens Regional and need just 1 win to reach the Super Regionals. The Bulldogs have not advanced past the regional round since 2008, also the last time that the program reached the College World Series.
Georgia will face the winner of UNC Wilmington vs. Georgia Tech Sunday evening at 6 pm ET. The Bulldogs need just 1 win to capture the regional and would play an “if necessary” winner-take-all matchup on Monday if they lose Sunday night.
Main image via Georgia Baseball (@BaseballUGA) via X (formerly Twitter).
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
