HOOVER, ALA.\u00a0\u2013 Fourth-ranked and SEC champion Georgia erased a 6-0 deficit to beat eighth-ranked Florida 8-7 Saturday to advance to the SEC Tournament Championship Game at the Hoover Met.<\/p>\n
Georgia (45-12) will play Sunday at 2 p.m. ET against either No. 6 Auburn or No. 10 Arkansas. Those two teams are squaring off in the other semifinal Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fast Facts
\n
\n<\/p>\n
Key Quotes
\n\tThe SEC Champion Bulldogs have reached the SEC Tournament final for the first time since 1989 when it fell 2-1 to Auburn in Gainesville, Fla.
\n\tThe Bulldogs recorded their largest comeback this season, falling behind 6-0 by the third inning. The previous largest deficit erased this year was five runs three times.
\n\tJunior right-hander Dylan Vigue<\/a>, who had allowed just one home run in 53 innings this year, surrendered a pair to the Gators as they scored six runs on four hits in 2.2 innings before the Bulldogs went to the bullpen.
\n\tJunior Zach Brown<\/a> provided 1.1 scoreless innings while senior graduate Caden Aoki<\/a> tossed three innings and gave up one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
\n\tJunior Justin Byrd<\/a> (4-2) pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts for the win.
\n\tGeorgia trailed 6-0 going to the fourth until cutting the deficit in half. A sacrifice fly by Brennan Huson and later back-to-back doubles from Kolby Branch<\/a> and Ryan Black<\/a> made it 6-3.
\n\tGeorgia trimmed it to 6-4 in the fifth as Daniel Jackson<\/a> smacked a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
\n\tFollowing a one-hour rain delay, Florida went up 7-4 in the seventh and Georgia responded with a pair of runs on three hits including a two-run double by Kenny Ishikawa<\/a> (3-4, 2 RBI).
\n\tIn the eighth, Kolby Branch<\/a> reached on a leadoff error and went to third on a double by Black. Georgia tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Tre Phelps<\/a> and took its first lead on a sacrifice fly by Daniel Jackson<\/a>. Byrd retired the Gators in order in the ninth
\n\tGeorgia is now 2-2 against the Gators this year as Florida was the only team to claim a regular season series over the Bulldogs this year.
<\/p>\n
\nIke Cousins Head Baseball Coach Wes Johnson<\/a>
\nOn Saturday’s comeback\u2026
\n“Florida came out and got really good punch in on us. I thought Dylan Vigue<\/a> actually threw the ball fine, left a few balls out over the plate. Tip your hat, they got off a couple of swings on some fastballs that we left in the middle of the zone, and that’s what good teams and good players do. I thought we were able to preserver. Zach Brown<\/a> came in and calmed the game down. We have a motto that we try not to panic at any time, and I just kept telling our guys, just stay with the process. We just to keep it right here.
\n\u00a0
\n“I think Caden did a nice job and then Justin Byrd<\/a> came in and closed it out once we got the lead. From an offensive side of things, I think we leaned on ’em a lot all day. We actually won a game and didn’t homer. It’s just a running joke within our locker room. Kenny (Ishikawa), Ryan (Black), Tre (Phelps) all had professional at bats right there as did Daniel Jackson<\/a>. I’m poud of our guys for hanging in there and not panicking and staying within our approach.”<\/p>\n