KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee baseball captured its first SEC regular-season championship since 1995 in Friday's win against Georgia.
The Vols clinched the title outright with Arkansas' extra-innings loss to Vanderbilt on Friday night.
The bats woke up in the fourth inning in Friday's series-clinching victory against UGA. Evan Russell cranked a two-run home run in the fourth inning to give UT its first lead of the game, and the Vols kept it rolling to top UGA 9-2 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Tennessee plated runs in four straight innings to race past the Bulldogs.
Russell tallied two home runs for three runs batted in, while Luc Lipcius added another solo home run in the fifth inning. Joel Ortega went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Blade Tidwell made the start for Tennessee in game two. His first allowed hit left of the yard, courtesy of Georgia's Cole Tate, but Tidwell kept his composure and finished the day with six strikeouts, three walks and four hits in four innings of work.
Camden Sewell took over in relief in the fifth inning. The senior got off to a rocky start and walked in a run after allowing three hits to load the bases. Like Tidwell, Sewell kept his cool and retired the next seven batters he faced.
Mark McLaughlin and Kirby Connell pitched a perfect inning each to close out the win against Georgia.
Tennessee wraps up its series against Georgia on Saturday, May 14 at 1 p.m.
