KNOXVILLE, TENN. – Top-ranked Tennessee clinched a share of the SEC title after posting a 9-2 win over No. 22 Georgia Friday in front of a crowd of 4,420 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Volunteers improved to 45-6 overall and clinched at least a share of the SEC title with a 22-4 mark. If the Razorbacks (36-12, 16-8 SEC) don’t win Friday, the Volunteers will capture the league title outright.
Georgia (32-18, 13-13 SEC) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first courtesy of a solo home run by graduate Cole Tate (2-for-4, RBI). It was his second blast of the series and fourth of the year. He would lead off the third with a base hit and make it to third with one out before UT right-hander Blake Tidwell pitched out of trouble to keep it a 1-0 contest. UT surged ahead with a three-run outburst in the fourth off junior Jonathan Cannon. Jorel Ortega tied the game with a run-scoring double, and with two outs, catcher Evan Russell made it 3-1 with a his 11th home run of the season.
The Volunteers went to the bullpen, bringing in senior Camden Sewell to start the fifth. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with two outs and managed to cut it to 3-2 on a walk to Corey Collins but then left them loaded. UT answered quickly as Luc Lipcius smacked his 12th home run to start the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-2. A run-scoring single by Ortega extended the lead to 5-2 when Georgia made the move to the bullpen and brought in freshman Chandler Marsh. He would strike out a pair with the bases loaded but also issue one walk for a 6-2 deficit. UT would add a pair in the sixth and one in the seventh for the final. Georgia’s Connor Tate finished 3-for-4 with a run scored.
Cannon dropped to 9-2 after having won his previous seven starts heading into the game with the Volunteers. On Friday, he surrendered six runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts over 4.1 innings. Marsh struck out a career-high five over 1.2 innings and allowed two runs on two hits with three walks. Sophomore Will Pearson took care of the final two innings for the Bulldogs and allowed a run on Russell’s second home run of the game. Sewell improved to 5-1, tossing three innings and allowing a run on three hits. Bulldog freshman Coleman Willis pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
“They had a really good approach and got his (Cannon’s) pitch count up, and they finally got to him,” said Georgia head baseball coach Scott Stricklin. “He didn’t locate as well as he normally does. They had a lot of really good at bats against him.”
The series concludes Saturday with first pitch set for 1:02 p.m. The game will be available on SEC Network+, and the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network.
