SEC baseball Sunday recap: Gonzalez, Hitt aid in shutouts; Vols complete a dramatic comeback; Aggies hold off Arkansas, more
Chris Lee • 4/24/2022 in Baseball
Here's what happened in SEC baseball on Sunday, April 24.
Joseph Gonzalez photo courtesy of Auburn athletics.
Vols come from behind to sweep Florida
Florida no-hit Tennessee for six innings, but the Vols came from behind for a 6-4 win in 11 innings in Gainesville.
The Vols (37-3, 17-1) did nothing against Brandon Neely until the seventh, when Drew Gilbert tripled and scored on Trey Lipscomb’s ground-out to cut the lead to 4-1. Jorel Ortega led off the ninth with a home run off Blake Purnell and then Tennessee got five-straight runners on with two out in the ninth, tying the game when Christian Moore singled in two.
In the 11th, Moore hit a two-run homer for the winning margin off Tyler Nesbitt.
Jac Caglianone hit his first career home run for the Gators (23-17, 6-12). Neely allowed one run and struck out eight in seven innings.
Aggies hang on to take series from Arkansas
Arkansas rallied for five runs in the eighth, but thanks to Jacob Palish, Texas A&M hung on for an 11-10 win at Blue Bell Park in College Station.
The first six Razorbacks reached in the eight against two Aggie pitchers, and then Palisch gave up a two-run double to Dylan Leach as the lead shrunk to one. But Palisch struck out the next three hitters and then got a 1-2-3 ninth.
A&M (25-14, 10-8) stormed Arkansas starter Jaxon Wiggins for five runs as Wiggns got just one out. A&M had 15 hits, with Dylan Rock and Austin Bost slamming home runs. Bost had three hits and drove in four while Jack Moss had four hits and drove in three.
Cayden Wallace and Jalen Battles smashed home runs for Arkansas (31-9, 12-6).
Hitt pitches ‘Bama past Georgia
Grayson HItt struck out seven in six innings as Alabama beat Georgia, 3-0, in Tuscaloosa. Andrew Pickney and Drew Williamson homered for the Crimson Tide (24-17, 9-9).
Dylan Ray picked up a two-inning save with two strikeouts while Pinckney’s three hits were a game high.
Georgia (28-12, 11-7) starter Liam Sullivan allowed all three runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Gonzalez shuts out Auburn
Auburn starter Joseph Gonzalez pitched seven scoreless innings and Carson Skipper and Blake Burkhalter each added scoreless frames as the Tigers (29-12, 11-7) shut out South Carolina, 2-0.
Auburn’s Blake Rambusch had four hits and drove in a run, and Nate LaRue had two hits and the Tigers’ other RBI.
Carolina (19-20, 6-12) starter Will Sanders allowed two runs in five innings and Cade Austin finished with three scoreless innings.
Pitching leads Vanderbilt to series win in Lexington
Vanderbilt’s Thomas Schultz pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings to end the day, as the Commodores held on to top Kentucky, 5-3, at Kentucky Proud Park to win the series.
Enrique Bradfield Jr. led off the game with a home run for the Commodores (28-11, 9-9), who got three hits each from Jack Bulger and Tate Kolwyck.
Kentucky (22-18, 6-12) got a home run from Jacob Plastiak, who nearly got a second except for a fantastic, leaping play by Bradfield. Sean Harney threw six innings of two-run relief for the Wildcats.
Kentucky center fielder Nolan McCarthy pulled up lame at first after hitting into a second-inning double play and left the game.