Friday's SEC baseball wrap-up: Cannon keeps Georgia unbeaten, more

Here's what happened with all 14 SEC baseball teams on Friday, Feb. 25

Jonathan Cannon photo courtesy of Georgia athletics.

Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ole Miss remain unbeaten

Perhaps the day’s most outstanding individual performance came from Georgia’s Jonathan Cannon, who threw 8 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and striking out five in the Bulldogs’ 1-0 win over Albany. Cannon took a perfect game into the seventh inning. Georgia’s Corey Collins had a double and the team’s lone RBI as the Bulldogs improved to 5-0.

Tennessee (5-0) can't stop hitting. The Vols exploded for 21 hits, including home runs from Blake Burke, Jared Dickey, Trey Lipscomb, Evan Russell and Cortland Lawson, in a 27-1 win over Iona. Freshman Chase Burns turned in his second-straight good start with five scoreless innings and four strikeouts. For context, Iona gave up 47 runs in three games with Old Dominion last week, but still, Tennessee's 76 runs in a 5-0 start is remarkable. 

Kentucky’s Cole Stupp gave up two runs in five innings, striking out nine in a 14-3 drubbing of Western Michigan. It was a balanced offensive effort for the Wildcats (5-0), who scratched out 13 hits and walked 10 times. Daniel Harris IV led Kentucky with three hits and added a walk.

Finally, Ole Miss (5-0) cruised to a 10-4 win over VCU. Second baseman Peyton Chataginer recorded the rare 2-0-0-3 batting line with three sacrifice flies, while Kevin Graham homered. Derek Diamond got the win, pitching five innings of two-run ball, with neither earned. 

Mixed results for the SEC in Texas

Top-ranked Texas blanked Alabama, 1-0, in the series opener in Austin, handing the Crimson Tide (5-1) their first loss of the season. Alabama starter Garrett McMillan was terrific, spinning six scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Arkansas (3-1), meanwhile, got a quality 5-2 win over Indiana in the Round Rock Classic. Razorback starter Connor Noland struck out 10 over six innings while allowing just one run. 

Money again

LSU starter Blake Money made his second-straight excellent start, allowing four runners with seven strikeouts over seven shutout innings and 96 pitches. Dylan Crews hit his first homer of the season for LSU (4-1).

South Carolina's Eyster delivers again

Perhaps no SEC hitter is hotter than South Carolina's Andrew Eyster, whose four hits paced South Carolina to a 13-4 victory over George Washington. Eyster drove in two and is now hitting .600 for the Gamecocks. Starter Will Sanders allowed three runs over seven innings for the Gamecocks (4-1).

Auburn's surprising pitching start continues 

Jordan Armstrong struck out 11 over five innings as Auburn (4-1) blanked Yale--coached by former MLB pitcher John Stuper--9-0 on Friday. Five Tiger pitchers combined to strike out 19, while Samford transfer Sonny DiChiara blasted a home run. 

State struggles in loss to Northern Kentucky

Defending national champion Mississippi State fell to 2-3 after a 7-6 loss to Northern Kentucky. Freshman Hunter Hines blasted his first career home run, but NKU got three unearned runs off Landon Sims (five innings, four strikeouts, one earned run) and then touched reliever Parker Stinnett for two more runs.

Vandy, Florida pitchers prove overpowering 

Vanderbilt (3-2) and Florida (4-2) have had the league's best two pitching staffs for the balance of the last decade, and both looked great again on Friday. 

Patrick Reilly had nine of Vanderbilt’s 15 strikeouts, throwing four scoreless innings to end the game in VU's 7-2 win over Army. Vanderbilt turned five hits into seven runs thanks to seven walks and sloppy Army defense.

Florida's Hunter Barco had his second-straight outstanding start, striking out 12 in six innings while allowing a run in a 4-1 win over Georgia State. Nick Ficaraotta pitched a perfect three innings and struck out six for his second save. 

Missouri improves to 5-1

Spencer Miles allowed three runs (two earned), striking out 11 in 5 1/3 innings as the Tigers topped ULM, 4-3. 

Aggies can't get the bats going, suffer first loss

Texas A&M (4-1) had eight hits, but stranded 10, in a 2-1 loss to Penn. Aggie starter Nathan Dettmer pitched six innings, gave up no runs and struck out four.