A Tennessee slugger launched a massive home run to spark a blowout win, but a single mistake at home plate turned his victory into a nightmare

The Tennessee baseball team just suffered a gut-wrenching loss, dropping its opening SEC series to rival Georgia in an incredibly dramatic fashion. What looked like a go-ahead home run for the Vols in the final inning turned into a game-ending out, sealing their fate. This three-game set against Georgia was a real rollercoaster from the start.

Tennessee took the first game in Athens with a solid 7-4 win, giving them an early lead in the series. According to BroBible, Georgia fought back hard evening things up and forcing a decisive Game 3. That final game was an absolute thriller, with both teams trading blows. Tennessee jumped out to a strong 5-0 lead across the first three innings, but Georgia wasn’t going down without a fight, battling back to take the lead with a five-run sixth inning.

As the game headed into the top of the ninth, Tennessee found themselves trailing 8-6. Blake Grimmer sparked some hope for the Vols, launching a home run that cut Georgia’s lead in half. The tension was palpable, and then things got truly wild just a few batters later, the kind of unpredictable baseball moment fans recently saw with Team USA’s World Baseball Classic scare.

This is why you don’t celebrate too early

With the tying run on first base and two outs, Stone Lawless stepped up to pinch-hit for Tennessee. He connected with an 0-1 breaking ball, sending it deep into the outfield. Everyone, including Georgia pitcher Justin Byrd, thought it was a surefire home run. Lawless certainly believed it, too.

Believing he had just given his team the lead in their final at-bat, Lawless spiked his bat in celebration. He then started celebrating prematurely with his teammates as he walked down the first base line, soaking in what he thought was a monumental moment. All the while, Georgia outfielder Cole Johnson was tracking that fly ball with incredible focus.

He made an absolutely clutch catch, robbing Tennessee of what would have been a go-ahead home run and, ultimately the win. That out immediately ended the game, leaving Tennessee stunned and Georgia celebrating a hard-fought victory. Lawless, unfortunately, became the subject of widespread mockery. With this heartbreaking loss, the 19th-ranked Vols dropped their first SEC series in a pretty embarrassing fashion, falling to a 14-6 record.

Georgia, on the other hand, improved its season record to 17-4 and is now expected to climb higher in the AP Poll.