In the top of the ninth inning of Sunday's college baseball game, Tennessee Volunteers catcher Stone Lawless drove a pitch from Georgia Bulldogs pitcher Justin Byrd deep to left field. Lawless slammed his bat and celebrated with teammates, believing the ball had given Tennessee the lead.[1][2]

Georgia left fielder Cole Johnson leaped at the outfield wall and caught the ball, robbing the potential home run. The Bulldogs held on for an 8-7 victory.[1][2]

Tennessee held a 6-3 lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning, but Georgia responded with five runs, including a three-run home run by outfielder Bryce Callaway.[1][3]

Georgia head coach Wes Johnson said of the catch: "Initially, I didn't think it was a no-doubter. I thought he caught the ball off the end of the bat. When Cole was going back, he works on that stuff... Then when I saw him make the catch, I couldn't believe it." Johnson spoke via the team's website.[1]

Cole Johnson added: "I knew it was going to be right up against the wall, and if it was a homer, it wasn't going to be out by much. I was just trying to get my back against the wall as quick as I could."[1]

The teams are Southeastern Conference (SEC) rivals. Tennessee enters the series as the 2024 NCAA Division I baseball national champions. Georgia is coached by Wes Johnson, who was named head coach in June 2022.[2][4][5]

Georgia improved to 17-4 on the season with the win, while Tennessee fell to 14-6.[1][2]

Sources

1. University of Georgia Athletics, "Baseball: Bulldogs 8, Volunteers 7 (Final Score)", Publication date March 10, 2025, https://georgiadogs.com/sports/baseball
2. University of Tennessee Athletics, "Baseball Schedule/Results", Accessed October 2024, https://utsports.com/sports/baseball/schedule
3. University of Georgia Athletics, "Bryce Callaway Player Profile", Accessed October 2024, https://georgiadogs.com/sports/baseball/roster/bryce-callaway/6893
4. Wikipedia, "Georgia Bulldogs baseball", Accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Bulldogs_baseball
5. Wikipedia, "Tennessee Volunteers baseball", Accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Volunteers_baseball