The 20th ranked Georgia Bulldogs baseball team (29-13, 11-8) defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 8-6 in the series opener Friday night at Foley Field and they used their bats to do so.
 
 

This game was back and forth all night long but the Bulldogs took the game over in the bottom half of the fifth inning. Mason Meadows hit a three-run home run that would give his team a lead that they would not give up for the rest of the game.
 
 
Meadows was not alone for the Bulldogs in putting his power on display as Tucker Bradley also hit a solo home run that would provide the Bulldogs with a little more insurance heading into the final frame of the game. Overall, the Bulldogs hitting was on point for the majority of the game and their bats just ended up outlasting the Volunteers.
 
 
Since the game ended up being an offensive shootout, the pitching did have to do some damage control but overall were pretty strong. The pitching started off with senior Chase Adkins who has settled in as the Bulldogs go-to Friday guy.
 
 

“I thought Chase Adkins gave us a very good start,” said head coach Scott Stricklin. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but he really battled and competed and gave us six strong innings and gave us a chance to win.”

 
 
Adkins gave the Bulldogs six strong innings while only allowing four runs. Adkins did a good job of pounding the strike zone and not giving up free bases to the Volunteers as he finished with only two walks but had seven strikeouts. Although it was definitely not Adkins best start, he did enough to keep his team in the game and the pitchers that followed did even better.
 
 
Tony Locey and Zac Kristofak followed up Adkins and they each only gave up one hit, while Kristofak allowed the only run in his appearance in the ninth for his third save of the season. Locey continued his dominance on the mound and he has grown to become one of the Bulldogs most reliable bullpen pieces.
 
 
The Bulldogs will face the Volunteers in game two of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Foley Field.