The rubber match of Georgia's three-game series against Vanderbilt began well enough. After four and a half innings in the Music City on Sunday afternoon, the Diamond Dogs held a 2-1 lead.
However, despite the fact that the Red and Black outhit the Commodores, 11-10, a pair of errors and another late inning defensive collapse doomed the Bulldogs to defeat as Vandy exploded for 10 runs in the final four innings to claim an 11-3 victory over visiting Georgia.
Joey Side went four for four at the plate, scored two runs, and recorded an R.B.I. on a home run to lead off the game, but the Bulldog center fielder's heroics were squandered in a losing effort.
Joey Side. (Photograph courtesy University of Georgia Athletic Association.)
The Red and Black began to unravel in the bottom of the fifth frame, when Vanderbilt's Ryan Davis reached first base on a fielding error to lead off the inning for the Commodores.
There followed an Alex Feinberg single, a Matt Meingasner double, a David Macias sacrifice bunt, a Pedro Alvarez groundout, and a Dominic de la Osa double to give the home team the lead that it would never relinquish.
Insult was added to injury in the seventh inning, which began with another Feinberg single, a throwing error, another Macias sacrifice bunt, an Alvarez intentional walk, and another de la Osa double. The Diamond Dogs were unable to get out of the inning before three more runs had been added to the Commodores' tally.
The eighth frame saw more of the same as Davis walked, stole second base, advanced to third on a Macias single, and was brought home by a de la Osa home run. De la Osa batted in seven runs over the course of the outing.
The loss dropped Georgia's season record to 22-13, leaving the Diamond Dogs with a 6-9 ledger in conference play and a 3-4 mark during the road trip that concluded in Nashville this afternoon. The Red and Black will take on Mercer on Tuesday in the first of five consecutive home games for the Bulldogs.
Georgia's next conference game will be against Tennessee on Friday. The Volunteers, who surrendered 20 hits in a 15-4 loss to Florida today, are 21-15 overall and 5-9 against S.E.C. squads.
Go 'Dawgs!