SCORE: Tennessee 7, Georgia 0 | FINAL
*SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED*
Fifth-ranked Tennessee baseball (23-5, 4-4 SEC) is set to battle Georgia (22-5, 4-4 SEC) on Easter Sunday in Lindsey Nelson Stadium in game three of a three-game weekend series. The Vols will aim to win the series in the rubber match after getting blown out in the series opener and winning a high-scoring classic in game two.
First pitch is at 2:00 p.m. ET, and it airs on the SEC Network. This game serves as the fourth televised game for Tennessee this season.
Reminder that the online broadcasts can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. You can also watch or listen to the game using the links.
Tennessee is entering Sunday’s contest coming off of a thrilling 16-11 victory on Saturday in which Dylan Dreiling recorded 7 RBI and Kirby Connell provided a crucial relief outing. The win was a big bounce back for the Vols, as they suffered their worst loss of the season on Friday when Georgia bashed the Vols 16-2 in a seven-inning, run-rule victory.
Tennessee’s win got them back to a .500 SEC record, as the Vols dropped two of three in their first SEC series against Alabama and won two of three against Ole Miss last weekend.
Tennessee’s two losses to Alabama came in games two and three of the series. Before the Vols’ back-to-back losses to the Tide, Tennessee had won 17 straight, including series sweeps over UAlbany, Bowling Green and Illinois along with wins over Kansas State and Baylor.
Tennessee will be looking to avenge last year’s series loss to Georgia this weekend, as the Bulldogs won games two and three in Athens last year. But to do that, Tennessee must win the rubber match.
The last time the two teams met in Knoxville was in 2022, when the Vols won two of three games (Friday and Saturday).
Injury Note
The Vols have been without star third baseman Billy Amick for the past two games, and he will miss the entire series against Georgia. The Clemson transfer is dealing with an appendix injury. Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said Amick playing this weekend “isn’t a reality,” but that he may be back next week when the Vols travel to Auburn.
“With Billy, I think it will be sooner than later but with the appendix situation he had to go all of a sudden, as anyone who’s dealt with that (knows) it’s an all of a sudden thing,” Vitello said. “Went to the hospital, get things worked on for him to be available this weekend isn’t a reality but I think sometime soon after is a reality.”
In Amick’s absence, the Vols will turn to Dalton Bargo to start at third and keep Curley at short for Sunday’s game. On Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, star defensive player Ariel Antigua started at shortstop and Curley slid over to third.
Additionally, don’t expect to see sophomore right-handed pitcher AJ Russell this weekend as he suffered a setback last weekend against Ole Miss. Russell is dealing with forearm soreness, and Vitello said on Tuesday that they are in no hurry to bring him back.
“With AJ, kind of waiting to see what’s there,” Vitello said. “I would expect, kind of maybe we went to quick or maybe we didn’t. I don’t think there’s a real answer there but maybe back to where we were where we have to let things calm down and let him rest. So I wouldn’t say we are in any kind of hurry with that or anything on the horizon for him anytime soon.”
For all of RTI’s baseball coverage this season, including Tennessee’s high-scoring Saturday win over Georgia, click here.
To see what Tony Vitello said after the win, click here.
For the LIVE at-bat by at-bat update thread from Tennessee’s thrilling series-evening win, click here.
More From RTI: Former Tennessee Baseball Star Makes MLB Debut
Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.
Starting Lineups
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
2B Christian Moore (R)
1B Blake Burke (L)
3B Dalton Bargo (L)
DH Kavares Tears (L)
LF Dylan Dreiling (L)
SS Dean Curley (R)
RF Reese Chapman (L)
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
C Cal Stark (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Moore stays in the leadoff spot for the second straight game after being in the three-hole for the previous two games.
- Dalton Bargo gets the nod at third after impressing there for half the game on Saturday. Vitello likes what Bargo brings to the table offensively.
- With Bargo now in at third to replace a hurt Amick, Curley slides back to shortstop.
- Cal Stark gets the catcher start for the second straight day after Peebles started behind the plate and struggled on Friday.
- Both Ensley and Chapman get outfield starts and Tears moves to DH. NO Villeneuve in the lineup today, something that doesn’t happen often. But Villeneuve has had a down series at the plate.
GEORGIA STARTING NINE:
1B Corey Collins (L)
CF Charlie Condon (R)
3B Slate Alford (R)
DH Dylan Goldstein (L)
RF Logan Jordan (R)
C Henry Hunter (L)
2B Sebastian Murillo (R)
LF Clayton Chadwick (L)
SS Kolby Branch (R)
Pitching Matchup:
Vols Sr. LHP Zander Sechrist (0-0, 3.37 ERA, 7 app., 6 starts, 18.2 IP, 18 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 24 K, .261 opp. batting avg., 1.18 WHIP)
vs.
Bulldogs Sr. RHP Christian Mracna (3-1, 3.57 ERA, 7 app., 7 starts, 22.2 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 16 BB, 31 K, .207 opp. batting avg., 1.46 WHIP)
Pitching notes:
- Sechrist gets the Sunday start with Russell dealing with an injury. Sechrist started last Sunday against Ole Miss and did well in 2.1 innings of work. Expect to see a lot of bullpen arms today as Tennessee tried to win what should be a high-scoring rubber match.
- Mracna has beeen Georgia’s day three guy so far in SEC play and has had one bad and one good outing.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Sunday creams
Georgia: Red tops, grey bottoms
*NOTE* There IS a RUN-RULE today. If Tennessee or Georgia leads by 10 or more runs in the seventh inning or later, the game is OVER.
- The run-tule is MANDATORY in SEC games.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Corey Collins grounds out to 2B.
-Charlie Condon strikes out swinging.
-Slate Alford pops up to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore lines out to CF. 114 mph off the bat.
-Blake Burke strikes out looking.
-Dalton Bargo singles to RF.
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Bulldogs 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Dylan Goldstein strikes out looking.
-Logan Jordan strikes out swinging.
-Henry Hunter strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out looking.
-Dean Curley strikes out looking.
-Reese Chapman singles to right center.
-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Bulldogs 0
3rd Inning:
T3
-Sebastian Murillo grounds out to SS.
-Clayton Chadwick strikes out swinging.
-Kolby Branch reaches on an ugly fielding error by Dean Curley.
-Corey Collins flies out to LF.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Cal Stark legs out a bunt single. Great bunt from Cal.
-Christian Moore lines out to CF. 108 mph bullet.
-Blake Burke strikes out looking.
Stark steals second.
-Dalton Bargo strikes out swinging. Mracna is up to 7 Ks.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Bulldogs 0
4th Inning:
T4
-Charlie Condon flies out to RF at the warning track. Wind held it up.
-Slate Alford singles through the right side. Went right underneath Moore as he dove for it. Would’ve been a tough play.
-Dylan Goldstein singles through the right side. Alford advances to second.
RHP Marcus Phillips is warming up in the bullpen.
-Logan Jordan singles to LF. Goldstein advances to second. Curley cut off the throw from Dreiling in left field then delivered a seed to Stark at home, who tagged Alford for out number two.
Georgia is challenging the call at home. Call CONFIRMED.
-Henry Hunter grounds out to 1B unassisted.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Kavares Tears smacks a ground-rule double to right field.
-Dylan Dreiling rips a 112 mph single to RF but a run doesn’t score. Tears goes to third.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Coleman Willis (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Mracna*
-Dean Curley flies out to right center. Too shallow as a run is unable to score.
Dreiling steals second.
Tears scores on a balk, Dreiling advances to third on the balk.
-Reese Chapman knocks a sac fly to center to score Dreiling.
-Hunter Ensley reaches on an infield single to 2B.
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 0
5th Inning:
T5
-Sebastian Murillo flies out to the warning track in RF.
-Clayton Chadwick singles to LF.
-Kolby Branch flies out to CF.
-Corey Collins strikes out looking.
**Zander Sechrist has set a career-high with 81 total pitches**
END OF TOP HALF
B5
*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Zach DeVito (2-0, 1.29 ERA) on to pitch for Willis*
-Christian Moore grounds out to SS.
-Blake Burke grounds out to SS.
-Dalton Bargo smokes a solo home run to right field.
-Kavares Tears gets a single to drop in shallow LF.
-Dylan Dreiling rips a double to right center. Tears advances to third.
*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Josh Roberge (2-0, 6.75 ERA) on to pitch for DeVito*
-Dean Curley grounds out to 2B. Looked like it hit the pitcher’s glove which slowed it down, making the play easier on the second baseman.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 3, Bulldogs 0
6th Inning:
T6
-Charlie Condon pops up to 2B.
-Slate Alford strikes out swinging.
-Dylan Goldstein out at first 1B to P.
**6.0 innings is a new career-high for Sechrist**
END OF TOP HALF
B6
-Reese Chapman grounds out to 2B.
-Hunter Ensley flies out to LF.
-Cal Stark doubles down the LF line.
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging, out at first C to 1B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 3, Bulldogs 0
7th Inning:
T7
-Logan Jordan is walked.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Nate Snead (5-1, 3.45 ERA) on to pitch for Sechrist*
-Henry Hunter grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.
-Sebastian Murillo flies out to CF. Incredible diving catch by Hunter Ensley.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
*Pitching change: So. LHP Jarvis Evans (2-0, 3.86 ERA) on to pitch for Roberge*
-Blake Burke smacks a single to LF. Now a 19-game hit streak, 27-game on-base streak.
-Dalton Bargo flies out to CF. To the warning track.
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
-Dylan Dreiling bloops a double into shallow center field. Second baseman fell down while running to allow the ball to drop in the outfield. Burke advances to third.
*Pitching change: So. RHP DJ Radtke (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Evans*
-Dean Curley works a walk to load the bases for Reese Chapman.
-Reese Chapman is hit by a pitch to bring in a run.
-Hunter Ensley drills a two-run double to left field.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Blake Gillespie (0-0, 18.90 ERA) on to pitch for Radtke*
-Cal Stark grounds out to C on a bunt.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 6, Bulldogs 0
8th Inning:
T8
-Clayton Chadwick flies out to LF.
-Kolby Branch singles to RF.
-Corey Collins singles through the left side.
-Charlie Condon strikes out swinging.
-Slate Alford flies out to RF.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
-Christian Moore reaches on a throwing error by the third baseman. Throw took the first baseman off the bag, resulting in a failed tag. Moore safe at first.
-Blake Burke strikes out swinging.
-Dalton Bargo strikes out swinging. Moore advances to second on a wild pitch which was strike three.
-Kavares Tears slaps an RBI single to right field to score Moore.
-Dylan Dreiling is walked. Two on with two outs for Curley.
-Dean Curley strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 7, Bulldogs 0
9th Inning:
T9
-Tre Phelps grounds out to SS.
-Logan Jordan grounds out to 3B.
-Paul Toetz grounds out to P.
END OF TOP HALF
Score: Vols 7, Bulldogs 0
END OF GAME
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 7, Georgia Bulldogs 0
