University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Georgia
Vols Fall To Bulldogs On Game-Winning Home Run
March 29, 2002 | Baseball
March 29, 2002
Athens, Ga. -- Justin McClain slugged a game-winning home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Georgia Bulldogs to a 9-8 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers at Foley Field.
It was McClain's second home run of the game as his first capped a three-run rally by the Bulldogs (14-7, 6-1 SEC) in the seventh inning to tie the game 8-8.
With two-out and the score tied at five in the sixth, the Vols loaded the bases for the second time in the game on a single by Dennis Gomez, a walk and a hit batsmen. Walter Sevilla then stepped in against Georgia's top reliever and eventual winner Jeffery Carswell (1-2) and drove the ball in the gap in right-center scoring all three, giving Tennessee an 8-5 lead.
The Bulldogs then mounted a three-run rally in the seventh to tie it 8-8. McClain's two-out two-run home run, his fourth of the season, capped the rally after Lee Mitchell scored on Matt Cavender's double earlier in the inning.
Sevilla led Tennessee with three hits, while Brandon Hopkins and Gomez followed with two apiece.
Adam Swann went 3-for-4 and drove in five of Georgia's runs on a two-run double in the first, a two-run home run in the third and single in the fifth.
Chaz Lytle also collected three hits, including a double, as he and Swann combined for six of the Bulldog's 11 hits.
Joey Andrews (3-4) took the loss for Tennessee which fell to 13-16 overall and 1-6 in league action.
Tennessee starter Ben Riley gutted it out through 6 2/3 innings in a no decision, allowing eight runs on 10 hits with seven strikeouts. He was his own worst enemy as all four walks he issued came with two out and opened the door for the Bulldogs who put together clutch hits to rally from a 5-2 deficit and tie it in the seventh.
Mickey Westphal also took a no decision for Georgia as he left the game with the score tied in the sixth. After allowing five runs on five hits in the first three innings, he seemed to settle down, retiring eight of the next nine hitters before loading the bases and seeing Sevilla double off the wall in right-center.
After scoring one run in the first on a bases loaded ground out by Hal Bibee, Tennessee parlayed two bloop hits and a passed ball into a 4-2 lead in the second. A Javi Herrera double followed by Dennis Gomez's single set the table for the Vols as the center fielder and left fielder lost the ball in the lights on respective plays. Jordan Czarniecki then doubled just past the third baseman sending home Herrera to tie the game. Gomez moved up on the hit and scored on a passed ball, while Czarniecki plated on a sacrfice fly for the 4-2 lead.
Georgia took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the first on a two-out bases loaded double by Swann that gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage.
Brandon Hopkins scored on a sacrfice bunt by Matt Sternberg in the third as Tennessee extended its lead to 5-2.
Swann connected on his second home run of the season, a two-run blast to left with two out in the third, to pulled the Bulldogs within 5-4. He drove in his fifth run in the fifth inning on a base hit to right that scored Cavender who walked and took third on David Coffey's single to tie the game 5-5.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
