University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Grand Canyon
Baseball Drops 1-0 Contest to Grand Canyon
March 07, 2015 | Baseball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- In the second game of their weekend series against Grand Canyon, Tennessee dropped a hard-fought, 1-0 decision against the Antelopes at Lindsey Nelson Stadium before a Saturday afternoon crowd of 1,584. With the loss, the Vols move to 5-5 (.500) on the season and 1-1 all-time against the Antelopes.
Lefty Drake Owenby got the nod for Tennessee and went a career-long 8.0 innings, allowing just one run on four hits in his fourth outing of the season. He struck out four batters and walked just two but received the loss, slipping to 1-1 on the year.
"Drake gave us a chance," said UT head coach Dave Serrano. "I though he pitched well, not as good as I've seen him but he pitched plenty good enough. This was on us. This was purely on us as a team."
"Any time we lose, obviously it's very disappointing," Owenby added following the game. "One unearned run doesn't usually beat us. Our defense is great; they play behind me every single game. I'm never going to say one person did this or that, because it's a team game. That's why we play it."
Tennessee's offense fell quiet against the Lopes, despite out-hitting the Lopes in the contest. Freshman catcher Benito Santiago delivered the first hit for Tennessee in the third inning, putting a grounder through the right side of the infield. He later reached second on a grounder to third by rightfielder Brodie Leftridge, but the rally fell short.
Tennessee came close again in the sixth inning with two outs, as centerfielder Vincent Jackson knocked a single into right field. A.J. Simcox then executed a perfect hit-and-run with Jackson, moving the Vol baserunners to second and third before leftfielder Christin Stewart walked to load the bases. Second baseman Nick Senzel then came to bat for the Vols, but produced a fly ball to shallow right field that ended the rally for Tennessee.
In the seventh, Tennessee's first baseman Nathaniel Maggio kept the offense alive with a leadoff single to left field. Derek Lance then entered the game to pinch-run for Maggio, reaching third after a stolen base and sacrifice bunt by third baseman Jeff Moberg. Again, Tennessee fell just short, as Grand Canyon caught Lance off the bag on a grounder hit by designated hitter Andrew Lee.
"We had chances tonight," said Serrano. "You've got to tip your hat to Grand Canyon. They did things when they had to. They kept mixing and matching their pitchers and we tried to do the same thing and they were stronger than us in the end.
"When you're not on it offensively, it's all the little details that are preventing you from being successful. Those are things we've got to get out of our DNA and start doing more things right than wrong."
After one at-bat in the designated hitter spot, Lee then went to the mound for the Vols in the ninth. He faced three batters and despite walking one, delivered a strikeout-throwout double play alongside catcher Santiago to get out of the final frame.
In the ninth, Tennessee used pinch-hit at-bats from Andrew Plunkett and Jordan Rodgers in a late comeback attempt, but the effort fell short to secure the 1-0 win for the Antelopes.
The Volunteers face Grand Canyon for the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday, March 8 beginning at 1 p.m. ET. Righthander Kyle Serrano (0-1) matches up against 'Lopes righty Cameron Brendel (2-1) in the contest.
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