The Georgia Bulldogs, seeded third, opened the College World Series with a 7‑1 triumph over the sixth‑seeded Texas Longhorns on Thursday night, handing the Longhorns their first loss of the tournament.
Right‑hander Joey Volchko delivered a complete‑game performance, striking out 15 Texas batters and allowing just one run, the best outing of his season.
Georgia’s offense exploded early, scoring four runs in the first inning off Texas All‑American pitcher Dylan Volantis. Infielder Rylan Lujo launched a two‑run homer, and Kolby Branch advanced on a wild pitch that helped the Bulldogs add two more runs.
A dominant opening night
The Bulldogs never trailed, extending their lead with three more runs in the seventh inning. Lujo drove in another run with a double, and Kenny Ishikawa delivered a single that brought home two additional scores.
Despite going 2‑for‑11 with runners in scoring position, Georgia capitalized on three Texas errors, turning miscues into extra bases and extra runs. The win marks the Bulldogs’ first College World Series victory since 2008 and sets up a Monday night matchup against Oklahoma, which cruised to a 9‑0 win over Alabama earlier in the day.