No. 22 Georgia defeats No. 1 Tennessee in series finale
No. 1 Tennessee lost its final Southeastern Conference home game of the 2022 season Saturday, 8-3.
The Volunteers (45-7, 22-5 SEC) won the series against No. 22 Georgia.
The Bulldogs (33-18, 14-13 SEC) and Tennessee were embroiled in a 3-3 tie until Georgia scored five runs in the seventh inning off Drew Beam and Redmond Walsh.
Beam, the Vols’ usual game No. 3 weekend starter, appeared in relief against Georgia and surrendered three runs and three hits in 0.1 innings pitched.
Walsh, Tennessee’s closer, yielded two runs in 0.2 innings. Beam (8-1) suffered his first loss of the campaign.
The Vols took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Drew Gilbert’s single plated Seth Stephenson.
Luc Lipcius extended Tennessee’s advantage to 2-0 with a solo home run in the second inning.
The Bulldogs took the lead as they tallied three times in the fourth inning off Vols’ starter Ben Joyce. Joyce made his first start of the season.
Joyce gave way to reliever Kirby Connell, who pitched two innings and struck out five before Georgia’s eventual game-winning rally.
Will Mabrey and Wyatt Evans each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Vols.
Gilbert went 2-for-4 for Tennessee.
