Tennessee Drops Series Opener at No. 20 Georgia

Friday, April 27

Athens, GA

7 P.M. ET

University of Tennessee

24-20, 7-12

#20 Georgia

29-13, 11-8

Tennessee

Georgia Bulldogs

Photo by: Alison P. McNabb\Tennessee Athletics

April 27, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score Highlights PDF Box Score

ATHENS, Ga. – Tennessee fell to No. 20 Georgia, 8-6, in the series opener between the two teams on Friday night at Foley Field in Athens.

A four-run fifth inning for the Bulldogs was the difference in the game as they improved to 11-8 in SEC play with the win.

Brodie Leftridge scored two runs and homered for the third time in five games while Justin Ammons recorded three base hits on the night for his 13^th multi-hit game this season.

Mason Meadows had just one hit on the night for Georgia, but it was a big one as he gave the Bulldogs a 7-4 lead with a three-run blast in the bottom of the fifth inning. Adam Sasser also had a strong night for UGA, finishing 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored.

Senior starter Chase Adkins improved to 4-0 on the year despite giving up four runs in six innings of work. Andrew Schultz got the loss for UT after allowing three runs in just two thirds of an inning pitched.

Georgia scratched across a run in the bottom of the second to open the scoring. A pair of singles by Michael Curry and Aaron Schunk to lead off the inning put two on with no outs for the Bulldogs. Both runners advanced on a deep fly out before Curry came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.

The Vols scored three times in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Evan Russell drove in Nico Mascia with an RBI groundout to tie the game at one. One batter later, Leftridge, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, hammered the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence for a two-run homer to put UT ahead 3-1.

UGA responded immediately by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs were aided by four walks from Tennessee pitchers in the inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at three.

The Big Orange didn't wait long to reclaim the lead as Jay Charleston led off the fifth with a solo home run to left field to make it 4-3 Vols.

The Bulldogs answered yet again in the bottom of the fifth, striking for four runs to take a 7-4 lead. Schunk singled in a run to tie the game at four before Meadows hit a three-run homer to put Georgia ahead by three.

UT was able to cut the deficit to two with a run in the top of the eighth, but a solo homer by Tucker Bradley put Georgia back up by three heading into the ninth.

Leftridge doubled to lead off the ninth and scored on an RBI groundout by Brandon Trammell to cut the UGA lead to two, but the Vols were unable to get anyone else on base as Zac Kristofak retired the next two batters to earn his third save of the year.

Notable
Power Surge for Leftridge
Brodie Leftridge continued his recent power surge with his third home run in the last five games for the Vols. The senior outfielder hit a no-doubter over the left-field wall in the top of the fourth inning that put UT ahead 3-1. He also doubled and scored a run in the ninth inning.

Ammons Continues to Strive in SEC Play
Justin Ammons continues to be Tennessee's most consistent hitter in conference play. The sophomore had three more base hits on Friday and leads the team with 24 base knocks in SEC play this year. The Memphis native has recorded three or more hits in a game six times this season.

Next Up
The Vols will look to even the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ (WatchESPN) and feature a live radio broadcast on Sports Radio WNML (FM 99.1 / AM 990).