Rylan Galvan hits 10th-inning home run for 4-3 walkoff win by No. 5 Texas over No. 3 Georgia

The Horns swept the Bulldogs with a hard-fought Sunday win.

The fourth straight series win to open SEC play for the No. 5 Texas Longhorns was also the team’s third sweep powered by a 10th-inning walkoff home run by junior catcher Rylan Galvan against the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs in a 4-3 win.

The 10th home run by Galvan came on a 3-1 fastball blasted out to right-center field high off the scoreboard, avoiding an 18-mile-per-hour wind blowing in to UFCU Disch-Falk Field from the north that made the ballpark play bigger on Sunday.

In the matchup between two high-achieving pitching staffs, it wasn’t a typical Sunday game as Georgia only managed four hits against junior right-hander Ruger Riojas and freshman left-hander Dylan Volantis.

Three of those hits went for extra bases, however, and Riojas didn’t have the same sharp command he did in his first two weekend starts, issuing a career-high four walks and hitting another batter.

Three of those walks and the hit batter came in the third inning to load the bases as the Bulldogs had an opportunity to blow the scoreless game open. The third walk from Riojas resulted in the game’s first run, but he bounced back by inducing an inning-ending double play turned by sophomore third baseman Casey Borba.

Solo home runs by Georgia in the fifth and seventh innings were the only other blemishes for Riojas, who struck out seven batters, giving the UTSA transfer 23 strikeouts in his three weekend starts.

When Riojas was able to work ahead, he used his mid-90s fastball as an effective out pitch, whether working in the zone or missing bats with high heat.

Volantis recorded the final 12 outs after the second solo home run allowed by Riojas led off the seventh inning, setting his career high with eight strikeouts in the second-longest outing of his brief but superlative college career in securing his second win.

A breakdown in the Georgia battery helped set up the first run scored by Texas. Senior first baseman Kimble Schuessler led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on consecutive wild pitches. After Borba drew a walk, sophomore designated hitter Jaquae Stewart plated Schuessler with a single to right field.

The Longhorns briefly took the lead in the sixth inning on a two-home run by junior shortstop Jalin Flores to right-center field after sophomore second baseman Ethan Mendoza was hit by a pitch.

It was just enough to send the game into extra innings after the solo home run by Georgia tied it in the seventh.

Texas hosts Houston Christian on Tuesday before traveling to Lexington to face Kentucky next weekend.