University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols go extra to beat Georgia, 4-3
March 23, 2008 | Baseball
Box Score | Box Score (PDF)
ATHENS, Ga. ??? The Tennessee baseball team salvaged its weekend series at Georgia Sunday by battling its way to a 4-3 extra-inning win over Georgia at Foley Field. Senior Andy Simunic scored the winning run on an infield error in the top of the 10th, and junior pitcher Aaron Everett worked a pair of masterful innings out of the UT bullpen as the Volunteers improved to 14-7 (4-2 SEC) on the year.
Everett ran his season record to 2-2 and brought a halt to the Bulldogs??? six-game win streak by sitting down all six batters he faced through the final two innings, with three strikeouts. Vols sophomore Yan Gomes enjoyed a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a run and two RBI.
???Aaron was unbelievable,??? UT head coach Todd Raleigh said. ???That was the best he???s pitched all year. Six up, six down; it was just phenomenal. And the way he did it ??? I don???t think they even had a good swing against him. All four of the pitchers we used today were unbelievable.
???We had a lot of fight today. The guys just hung in there, and that???s all you can do.???
Georgia (12-8, 4-2 SEC) used a pair of doubles and an RBI sacrifice fly to jump out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning Sunday. After a leadoff double by Ryan Peisel, UGA???s preseason All-America shortstop Gordon Beckham hit what appeared to be his third home run of the weekend. But Tennessee right fielder Josh Liles leapt up and reached above the wall to knock the ball down. Beckham reached second base on the play, while Peisel was moved to third. Peisel scored on Rich Poythress???s sac fly.
Bulldogs starting pitcher Nathan Moreau didn???t allow hit through three innings, but after a one-out walk by Vols centerfielder Kentrail Davis in the top of the fourth, first baseman Gomes broke through with a two-run homer that gave Tennessee a 2-1 lead. It was Gomes??? third longball of the year and the 11th of his career.
Moreau was lifted in favor of right-hander Nick Montgomery after allowing a pair of one-out baserunners in the top of the fifth. Through 4 1/3 innings, Moreau had allowed just two hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
A dropped flyball to shallow right-center by UGA second baseman Michael Demperio proved costly for the Bulldogs in the top of the seventh. Vols shortstop Danny Lima made it to second base on what initially appeared to be a routine putout. And after moving to third base on a groundout by left fielder P.J. Polk, Lima scored on an RBI double by Simunic.
Georgia designated hitter Bryce Massanari quickly made it a one-run game once again, however, with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Bulldogs left fielder Lyle Allen followed Massanari???s homer with a basehit, prompting Raleigh to bring designated hitter Jeff Lockwood to the mound in relief of starter Nick Hernandez.
The Vols were quick to retire Allen on a fielder???s choice, but Peisel then roped a single past Gomes at first base to give the Bulldogs runners on the corners with just one out. Demperio laid down an RBI sacrifice bunt to tie the game at 3-3, and the Vols elected to intentionally walk Beckham. Peisel then made a gutsy move to steal third base before a pitch was thrown to Poythress, the next batter.
Raleigh then shifted the Vols??? lineup, moving Lockwood to first base, Gomes to catcher and bringing junior pitcher Ty???Relle Harris to the mound. Poythress sent Harris??? first pitch deep into centerfield, where Davis made the catch for the final out as he collided hard with the outfield wall.
Georgia put runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, and Lockwood then called back to the mound to face Matt Cerione. Vols sophomore Tanner Moore took the place of Lockwood at first base. Lockwood got Cerione to look at strike three, preserving the tie into the top of the ninth.
The Vols were retired in order in the top of the ninth, and Everett took the mound for the bottom of the frame. Everett rose to the challenge of facing UGA???s Nos. 1-3 hitters, sitting them down in order???including back-to-back strikeouts of Demperio and Beckham.
Singles by Simunic and Gomes gave Tennessee runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the 10th. Vols third baseman Cody Brown then slapped a hard-hit roller under Peisel???s glove at third, and Simunic scored the go-ahead run from second on what was ruled an infield error.
Hernandez earned a no-decision after allowing three runs on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts through six full innings. Alex McRee took the loss for Georgia to fall to 2-1.
Sunday???s win marked the second game this season in which Lockwood made multiple pitching appearances. The sophomore???s total line included one scoreless inning in which he surrendered one hit with a walk and a strikeout.
Tennessee now leads the all-time series with Georgia 110-98 dating to 1909.
The Vols return to action Tuesday at 7 p.m. when they host USC Upstate (10-12, 7-5 A-Sun) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
