Tennessee baseball suffered a 4-2 series-evening loss to Georgia Saturday in Athens.
The Bulldogs used early homers against Tennessee starter Landon Mack and a great relief outing from Caden Aoki to earn the game two victory.
Tennessee’s offense had moments but ultimately was unable to capitalize on late opportunities in the comeback attempt.
Here’s how it happened as Tennessee dropped to 14-5 (1-1 SEC) on the season in a game it never led.
Statistically Rough Landon Mack Outing
Statistically, Tennessee starter Landon Mack had his worst outing of the season. The sophomore struggled to contain Georgia’s power early and recent command issues showed up again later in his outing.
After facing the minimum in the first thanks to picking off his third baserunner of the season, Mack allowed a leadoff homer to Georgia designated hitter Michael O’Shaughnessy in the second.
O’Shaughnessy smacked the first pitch he saw over the left-field wall, and Georgia’s power continued to be an early-game storyline.
A leadoff single in the third set the stage for Georgia leadoff hitter Ryan Black to smash a two-run no-doubter off the top of the scoreboard in right field.
In addition to O’Shaughnessy and Black’s blasts, Daniel Jackson and Brennan Hudson each flew out to the warning track in the first three frames.
Mack had allowed one home run on the season entering Saturday. The Rutgers transfer has been prone to allow several hits but not the long ball. Georgia was having little issue with the sophomore’s high velocity.
But the New Jersey native mostly did a fine job navigating the rest of his outing with help from his defense.
Following Black’s one-out homer in the third, a brilliantly-orchestrated 6-5-3 double play by Manny Marin ended the inning. A three-pitch strikeout stranded runners on the corners in the fourth. Marin and Tyler Myatt also turned a 6-4-3 double play earlier in the inning.
In the fifth, Stone Lawless made an incredible throw to catch a runner stealing to end the inning.
However, Mack struggled with command in the sixth, issuing two walks along with a single to load the bases before recording an out.
The hard-throwing righty exited the game after Henry Ford recorded a 5-2 putout for the first out of the sixth.
Mack tied his season-high in walks allowed (4) – despite walking no batters in the first three frames – and gave up season-highs in hits (9) and runs (4). He struck out a season-low four and threw 95 pitches.
Despite the subpar final line, Mack delivered in some crucial moments, and his velo was the highest it’s been all season, reaching triple digits on the Foley Field gun.
Tennessee head coach Josh Elander raved about Mack’s outing after the game.
“Best I’ve seen him so far as a Vol,” Elander said. “He’s just a lot of excitement going into the next week. He is always going to compete. Up to 100 (mph). Breaking ball was good. The overhead breaking ball, he clipped a couple of those tonight. I know he is going to compete and give us a chance to win.
“[He] kept us in it, which is huge… [he] was phenomenal tonight.”
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Mid-Game Offense Cuts Into Georgia’s Lead
After having just one baserunner in the first three innings, sophomore slugger Blaine Brown put Tennessee on the board in the third.
The Rice transfer destroyed a 3-2 pitch nearly 400 feet into the trees behind the Foley Field right-field wall.
Tennessee kept the momentum going in the fifth thanks to Marin and leadoff hitter Garrett Wright.
Marin chopped a 1-2 pitch up the middle for a one-out single before Wright ripped an 0-2 pitch off the left-field wall for an RBI double.
Wright’s double cut Georgia’s lead to one run and chased Bulldog starter Dylan Vigue as UGA head coach Wes Johnson called on Paul Farley from the bullpen.
Georgia Only Gets One in the Sixth
Freshman lefty Cam Appenzeller relieved Mack in the sixth with the bases loaded and one out.
Georgia’s Henry Allen singled to score a run, but a great Reese Chapman throw from right field prevented a multi-RBI hit.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Appenzeller got a flyout to limit the damage to one run in the frame.
Tennessee will always sign off on allowing one run after a bases-loaded, no-out situation, as it kept the Vols within striking distance.
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Vols Waste Late Opportunities as Caden Aoki Earns the Save
Tennessee had a chance to do damage in the seventh and eighth but couldn’t take advantage of either situation, stranding four runners across the two frames.
Myatt and Marin each singled with one out in the seventh to put runners on first and second. But Jay Abernathy and Wright were retired to strand the pair.
Tennessee looked poised to do real damage in the eighth after a leadoff walk and one-out Blake Grimmer double put runners on second and third.
But a poor at-bat from Chapman saw the senior go around for strike three, and Stone Lawless flew out to end the frame.
“Second and third, two outs, that’s a big one,” Elander said looking back on the eighth inning. “What is my task and how do I execute it? Reese (Chapman) is up there and takes a little bit too big of a swing. Comes off the breaking ball right there.
“You just need to stay through the middle of the field nice and easy – collect those RBIs and move up. We get in those spots right there, you don’t get a lot of redo’s. So, you’ve got to get it done when you get those chances to drive guys in.”
Despite a strong seventh and eighth inning from Appenzeller on the mound, Tennessee’s offense couldn’t deliver late, leading to a narrow series-evening loss.
Georgia relief pitcher Caden Aoki earned the save with his strong relief performance, allowing no runs on three hits in 4.0 innings of work.
Up Next
Tennessee will look to clinch the series in a Sunday rubber match. First pitch is at 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.
“Compete,” Elander said when discussing keys to victory for game three. “(Evan) Blanco does a great job of that. I know we have Krenz (Brayden Krenzel) ready in the pen to rock and roll, but it’s about competing on Sunday and expecting some punches to be thrown back and forth.
“It’s one of those deals on Sunday that you better be ready to hook it up for nine innings.”
