ATHENS — Jarvis Evans and Chandler Marsh combined to strike out 13 in eight innings of relief to lift Georgia past Tennessee, 3-1, snapping the Volunteers nine-game winning streak and even the series Saturday at Foley Field before a season-high 3,852 spectators.
Georgia (26-21, 9-14 SEC) was 5-for-6 in stolen bases in SEC play before Saturday and then went 6-for-7 during the contest as graduate Mason LaPlante tied a school record with four. The Bulldogs recorded 10 hits on the afternoon, with five batters tallying two hits apiece. Graduates Ben Anderson (2-for-5) and Connor Tate (2-for-2) picked up doubles, and redshirt freshman Charlie Condon slammed Georgia’s only home run, his team-leading 20th.
“This was a big win, we're banged up and found a way to get a win. We got to get a hit with runners in scoring position” Georgia’s Ike Cousins head baseball coach Scott Stricklin said. “Connor Tate and Charlie Condon have been really good for us. We need some other guys to step up. When that happens, it’s contagious and the next guy can do it. Bottom line, we scored enough to win, and it’s a big one. Hopefully we get momentum and bring it in tomorrow.”
Freshman Jarvis Evans (2-0) was called from the bullpen in the first and inherited one runner after Georgia starter Charlie Goldstein exited the game early with a hamstring injury after facing the leadoff batter. Evans, who started on Tuesday and struck out a career-high six in 3.2 innings against the Owls, was even better against the Volunteers. He set a career high with 5.1 innings and seven strikeouts before leaving with the bases loaded in the sixth. Marsh walked the first batter he faced on four pitches to make it 3-1, and then recovered to provided 2.2 scoreless innings with a career-high six strikeouts. Freshman Leighton Finley took care of the ninth for his fourth save.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. With one out and a full count, Condon sent a single through the left side. Tate put the first run on the board with a double to center field, his 17th of the season to lead the team, driving in Condon, 1-0. In the third, Anderson led off with a single to deep left field and stole second. Condon drew a walk before both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Tate sent a sacrifice fly to center field, plating Anderson, as the Bulldogs led 2-0. Condon cranked his 20th home run of the season, this one off of Chase Dollander to tie the Georgia freshman record, to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. Dollander went six innings and dropped to 5-5.
“It definitely was a wakeup call because Charlie (Goldstein) came out so early,” Evans said. “Once we got in there and settled down, it was just like a regular start. It is what I am used to doing. Going into tomorrow, game three, we have to try and win the series, we are playing the best baseball we can.”
The series finale will be played on Sunday with first pitch at 1:02 p.m.
