The Georgia baseball team defeated Vanderbilt 14-2 on Thursday in a conference matchup in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bulldogs bring their record to 19-10 on the season and 4-6 in the SEC. Georgia will go for the series win Friday against Vanderbilt at 7:30 p.m. in Nashville, Tennessee. Here are some observations from The Red & Black:

Offensive explosion  

Going into the game against Georgia, Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kumar Rocker had yet to allow a home run this season. In his career, he has allowed two in two seasons. On Thursday, the Bulldogs hit three home runs against the Athens native and seven total.

The Bulldogs got on the board in the top of the first inning when Corey Collins hit a three-run home run to take an early 3-0 lead. That was the first home run Rocker allowed in 109 innings pitched, since May 5, 2019, against South Carolina.

Ben Anderson started the inning with a base hit and Cole Tate walked to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Collins hit his fifth home run of the season over the right-center field wall to give Georgia an early advantage.

Georgia struck for three more runs in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 6-1. On the first pitch of the inning, Connor Tate hit a solo home run for his sixth of the year. Two batters later, Garrett Blaylock hit a two-run home run to score Riley King and give Georgia a five-run lead.

Blaylock’s home run marked the end of Rocker’s day. He allowed six earned runs off seven hits, two walks and 12 strikeouts.

The Bulldogs added three more runs to their lead in the seventh inning. Two runs came in by an error from Vanderbilt’s shortstop and the third coming from a wild pitch to take a 9-1 lead.

Georgia finished the game with four home runs in the ninth inning. Connor Tate and Blaylock hit their second of the day while King hit his third of the season. Anderson hit his first of the year later with two outs to give Georgia its 14-2 lead.

Vanderbilt’s offense goes quiet 

Vanderbilt scored two runs in its series-opening loss to Georgia, the fewest amount of runs the Commodores have scored against an SEC opponent this season.

While Vanderbilt’s offense struggled to get on the scoreboard, the Commodores had opportunities to bring in runs but routinely left runners on base. Vanderbilt left 15 runners on base compared to Georgia’s seven.

The Commodores left at least one runner on base every inning and left the bases loaded once in the bottom of the sixth but could not keep up with the Bulldogs’ offense.

Luke Wagner started the game on the mound for Georgia, throwing two innings and allowing one run. He finished his day with three strikeouts, three walks and allowed one hit. Wagner was the first of six pitchers head coach Scott Stricklin used in the game.

Will Pearson, Michael Polk, Collin Caldwell and Ben Harris came into relief and did not allow an earned run to Vanderbilt’s offense. Nolan Crisp was the lone reliever who let the Commodores get on the scoreboard with a balk to bring in Vanderbilt’s second run of the game.

Starting series on right foot 

Georgia has yet to win an SEC series this season while Vanderbilt has yet to lose a conference series in 2021. Game 2 gives the Bulldogs another chance to win their first SEC series of the season.

The Bulldogs are 4-6 in conference action while Vanderbilt is 8-2. Georgia’s win to start the series was the first time the Commodores lost an SEC series opener this season. Georgia won its previous series opener against South Carolina but lost the remaining two games to lose the series.

Georgia will send Ryan Webb to start the game on the mound while Vanderbilt will have Jack Leiter as its starting pitcher. Webb has a 3.14 ERA over 28 2/3 innings pitched with 42 strikeouts and 11 walks. Leiter has a 0.43 ERA over 42 innings pitched with 71 strikeouts and 16 walks.

Leiter didn’t allow an earned run in his first two starts against Missouri and South Carolina to begin SEC play, before allowing just one in six innings pitched against LSU on April 2. He threw a no-hitter against South Carolina and left the game against Missouri not having allowed a hit in seven innings pitched.

The last series Vanderbilt lost was to Georgia in 2019 in Athens on the Commodores’ way to winning a national championship. With a win in Game 1, the Bulldogs are a step closer to taking the series win against Vanderbilt.

Printed with permission from The Red & Black independent student media organization based in Athens, Ga.; redandblack.com/sports