NASHVILLE — Eighth-ranked Georgia captured the 2008 Southeastern Conference baseball title Sunday afternoon with a 12-10 win over 16th-ranked Vanderbilt at Hawkins Field.

It was the sixth overall SEC title for the Bulldogs and the third since 2001. No other league team has more than one during that stretch.

The Bulldogs (33-17-1, 19-7-1 SEC) won the series over the defending SEC champion Commodores (37-15, 15-11), who took game one Friday to trim Georgia’s SEC lead to two games. Georgia rallied to win the series, marking the third time this season they have dropped game one of an SEC road series only to come back and win it.

“I am really proud of the team,” Georgia coach David Perno said. “They have played one of the nation’s toughest schedules and battled throughout the SEC season at home and on the road. We pitched well, played great defense and swung the bats extremely well today. Nathan (Moreau) came through with another big start, and we got contributions from everybody in the lineup and off the bench. It was a lot of fun today, even with my emotions up and down throughout the game.”

In the second inning, Georgia batted around to build a 6-0 lead, taking advantage of a leadoff error by third baseman Pedro Alvarez. The Bulldogs pushed across the first run on a fielder’s choice by Matt Cerione, and then junior second baseman Miles Starr delivered a two-run double. Senior Ryan Peisel followed with an RBI single to make it 4-0.

Senior Matt Olson had a double that sent Peisel to third. Gordon Beckham’s sacrifice fly scored Peisel, and Olson scored on an RBI double off the wall in left by Rich Poythress.

In the ninth, Georgia brought in senior All-America closer Joshua Fields, who recorded his 15th save, tying the school record set by Alex Barylak in 1993. Fields owns the SEC career record with 38 saves.

Georgia will be back in action Tuesday at Turner Field in Atlanta against Georgia Tech and will close out the SEC regular season Thursday when Alabama comes to Foley Field for a three-game series. The Bulldogs own a four-game lead in the SEC over Vanderbilt and LSU.

* Kentucky 20, Tennessee 5

KNOXVILLE, Ky. — Ryan Wilkes homered and knocked in four runs as Kentucky completed its first sweep at Tennessee in 20 years.

Chris McClendon added four hits and three RBI as the Wildcats (38-14, 14-13) took all three games in Knoxville for the first time since 1988.

The Wildcats trailed 5-3 before taking the lead for good in the top of the fourth behind Sawyer Carroll’s 3-run homer that helped give them an 8-5 edge. Kentucky later added five runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to pull away.

Andrew Albers (7-3) picked up the win in relief of starter Greg Dombrowski, pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and striking out eight.

Ty’Relle Harris (2-2) took the loss for Tennessee (25-27, 11-16). Danny Lima and Yan Gomes had two hits apiece for the Volunteers.

* Alabama 8, Florida 7.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Matt Bentley’s sacrifice fly scored Jeff Texada from second to lift Alabama over Florida in a comeback victory.

Alabama (30-22, 14-13) scored six runs in the final two innings. Florida (30-20, 14-13) scored single runs in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead.

Alabama trailed 7-2 with two outs in the eighth inning, but scored five runs to tie the game and set up the ninth-inning Texada score.

Austin Graham (5-1), earned the win with 3 2/3 innings of relief. He allowed one run and three hits and struck out three batters.

Clint Franklin (3-3) took the loss. He allowed one run and one hit in two-thirds of an inning.

* Mississippi 5, Auburn 2.

OXFORD, Miss. — Junior right-hander Scott Bittle on Sunday held Auburn’s offense in check over the final four innings to lift Mississippi to a win.

Bittle (5-1) struck out seven and walked one as he held the Tigers (27-25, 11-16) to only two hits for Mississippi (33-20, 14-13), which took the weekend series.

Joseph Sanders hit a two-run home run in the top of the first to put the Tigers on the board.

Luke Greinke (4-4) took the loss for Auburn as he allowed five runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts.

Comments