SCORE: Vols 4, Commodores 13 | FINAL
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Top-ranked Tennessee baseball (46-10, 22-8 SEC) is set to battle Vanderbilt (36-20, 13-17 SEC) Wednesday in Hoover in game seven of the SEC Tournament. The matchup serves as Tennessee’s first game in Hoover and Vanderbilt’s second.
First pitch in Hoover Met is at 5:32 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
This will be Tennessee’s fourth matchup against Vanderbilt this season. The Vols won two of three games in a weekend series in Nashville a week-and-a-half ago.
Tennessee is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, while Vanderbilt is the No. 8 seed. Vanderbilt enters Wednesday’s matchup coming off a 6-3 win over No. 9 seed Florida in a single elimination game on Tuesday. Starting pitcher Bryce Cunningham shoved while the Commodores picked up a highly significant win to get into the double elimination bracket. Vanderbilt is going to be fighting hard this week in Hoover given the fact they are not a lock to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Vols are coming off a series sweep over South Carolina in Knoxville that ultimately gave them a share of the SEC regular season crown with Kentucky. Additionally, the series sweep gave Tennessee the No. 1 overall seed in the SEC Tournament.
Read more about Tennessee winning the SEC here.
RECAP: Vols sweep South Carolina
TRANSCRIPT: Tony Vitello Previews SEC Tournament
If Tennessee beats Vanderbilt, they will face off against the winner of Mississippi State vs. Texas A&M in the nightcap on Thursday, If the Vols lose to the Commodores, they will play in game two on Thursday at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET in an elimination game.
Injury Note
-Sophomore RHP AJ Russell is officially ON the ACTIVE roster this week in Hoover. No surprise after Tony Vitello’s update last Saturday.
For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, including one of Tennessee’s top priorities this week in the SEC Tournament, click here.
For the latest RTI Press Pass baseball podcast, click here.
More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball vs. Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament: How To Watch, What To Know
WATCH: Tony Vitello Pre SEC Tournament Press Conference
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 Billy Amick (R)
LF Dylan Dreiling (L)
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
RF Kavares Tears (L)
SS Dean Curley (R)
DH Reese Chapman (L)
C Cal Stark (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Chapman gets the DH start to open Tennessee’s week in Hoover.
- Other 8 starters the same it’s been as of late in SEC play.
- Dreiling stays in cleanup spot, Ensley stays in 5th, Tears stays 6th. Same as it was all three games of the South Carolina series.
VANDERBILT STARTING NINE:
SS Jonathan Vastine (L)
3B Davis Diaz (R)
2B RJ Austin (R)
C Alan Espinal (R)
DH Colin Barczi (R)
RF Matthew Polk (R)
1B Braden Holcomb (R)
LF Troy LaNeve (L)
CF Calvin Hewett (R)
Pitching Matchup:
Vols So. RHP Nate Snead (8-1, 2.67 ERA, 19 app., 0 starts, 4 SV, 57.1 IP, 55 H, 19 R, 17 ER, 17 BB, 50 K, 16 XBH, .253 opp. batting avg., 1.26 WHIP)
vs.
Commodores Jr. LHP Devin Futrrell (4-1, 5.08 ERA, 11 app., 9 starts, 1 CG, 1 SV, 44.1 IP, 49 H, 29 R, 25 ER, 8 BB, 40 K, 19 XBH, .287 opp. batting avg.)
Pitching notes:
- Snead gets his first of the season after serving as the top relief pitcher for Tennessee this season. Snead threw 22 pitches Saturday against South Carolina and is on a pitch count, per HC Tony Vitello on the pre-game interview on the SEC Network.
- Futtrell has been one of Vanderbilt’s weekend starters for the majority of the season, but in the last few weeks has taken on a relief role. Futtrell threw 61 pitches last Saturday in relief in a 12-4 win at Kentucky.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Icy Whites
Vanderbilt: Gold tops, white bottoms
*NOTES*
- There IS a RUN-RULE today. If Tennessee or Vanderbilt leads by 10 or more runs in the seventh inning or later, the game is OVER.
- The run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC play.
- Tennessee IS the HOME team.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Jonathan Vastine flies out to RF.
-Davis Diaz grounds out to 1B unassisted.
-RJ Austin grounds out to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore fouls out to 1B.
-Blake Burke fouls out to 3B.
- Great over the shoulder catch by Diaz in foul territory halfway down left field.
-Billy Amick strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Commodores 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Alan Espinal strikes out looking.
-Colin Barczi bounces a single through the right side.
-Matthew Polk grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.
- Nice catch by Burke on the low throw from Curley.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Dylan Dreiling works a leadoff walk.
-Hunter Ensley smacks an RBI double to right-center to score Dreiling.
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
-Dean Curley flies out to RF.
-Reese Chapman grounds out to 2B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 1, Commodores 0
3rd Inning:
T3
-Braden Holcomb strikes out swinging.
-Troy LaNeve works a walk on a full count.
-Calvin Hewett slaps a double to right center. LaNeve advances to third.
LaNeve scores on a wild pitch. Hewett advances to third on a wild pitch.
-Jonathan Vastine grounds out to P.
-Davis Diaz sends an RBI single through the left side.
-RJ Austin singles to SS. Diaz advances to second.
- Curley’s throw was off but it would have been a really tough play to make.
-Alan Espinal hammers a three-run homer to right center.
*Pitching change: So. LHP Andrew Behnke (2-1, 3.26 ERA) on to pitch for Snead*
-Colin Barczi strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
-Christian Moore grounds out to P.
-Blake Burke doubles to deep RF.
-Billy Amick flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 1, Commodores 5
4th Inning:
T4
-Matthew Polk lines out to RF.
-Braden Holcomb drills a single to LF.
-Troy LaNeve strikes out looking.
Holcomb advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Calvin Hewett knocks an RBI single to CF.
*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Dylan Loy (1-0, 2.38 ERA) on to pitch for Behnke*
Hewett steals second.
Hewett advances to third on a wild pitch.
-Jonathan Vastine grounds out to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.
-Hunter Ensley flies out to RF.
-Kavares Tears rips a single into right field.
-Dean Curley works a walk. Tears advances to second.
-Reese Chapman launches a three-run homer into the Tennessee bullpen.
- Huge homer. His 6th of the season.
-Cal Stark flies out to RF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Commodores 6
5th Inning:
T5
-Davis Diaz singles to SS in shallow LF.
-RJ Austin ropes a ground-rule double to right-center. Diaz advances to third.
*Pitching change: Sr. LHP Kirby Connell (4-0, 4.09 ERA) on to pitch for Loy*
-Alan Espinal grounds out to 3B.
-Colin Barczi connects for an RBI groundout to SS to score Diaz. Austin advances to third.
RJ Austin caught stealing at home, 1-2.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
*Pitching change: RHP Luke Guth (1-1, 4.70 ERA) on to pitch for Futtrell*
-Christian Moore grounds out to 2B.
-Blake Burke works a walk.
-Billy Amick reaches on a fielder’s choice to 3B as Burke is out at second, 5-4.
-Dylan Dreiling is walked. Amick advances to second.
-Hunter Ensley grounds into a 6-4 fielder’s choice as Dreiling is out at second.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Commodores 7
6th Inning:
T6
*Pitching change: So. RHP AJ Russell (0-1, 5.11 ERA) on to pitch for Connell*
- First appearance for Russell since the Ole Miss series.
-Matthew Polk HBP.
-Braden Holcomb singles to left field. Polk advances to second.
-Troy LaNeve strikes out swinging after a long at-bat.
-Calvin Hewett reaches on a fielder’s choice to 3B as Holcomb is out at second, 5-4. Polk advances to third.
- Amick thought he could turn the double play rather than getting Polk out. But Hewett legs it out.
Hewett steals second.
-Jonathan Vastine strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
*Pitching change: LHP Miller Green (1-4, 3.00 ERA) on to pitch for Guth*
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
-Dean Curley singles to left center.
-Reese Chapman grounds into a 5-3 double play. Right into the shift.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Commodores 7
7th Inning:
T7
*Pitching change: So. RHP Marcus Phillips (0-0, 3.77 ERA) on to pitch for Russell*
-Davis Diaz strikes out swinging.
-RJ Austin singles to RF.
Austin steals second.
-Alan Espinal smokes a two-run homer to right center.
-Colin Barczi grounds out to 2B.
-Matthew Polk strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
*Robin Villeneuve pinch-hitting for Cal Stark*
-Villeneuve flies out to right center.
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Blake Burke reaches on a fielding error by SS.
- Vastine couldn’t field the hard-hit grounder.
-Billy Amick flies out to the warning track in LF. Ball was smoked.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Commodores 9
8th Inning:
T8
*Cannon Peebles to C for Robin Villeneuve*
*Fr. LHP Matthew Dallas (1-0, 3.38 ERA) on to pitch for Phillips*
-Braden Holcomb doubles to deep RF.
*Jack Bulger pinch-hitting for Troy LaNeve*
-Bulger works a walk.
*Jacob Humphrey pinch-running for Bulger*
-Calvin Hewett pops up to 2B.
-Jonathan Vastine cranks a three-run homer to RF.
-Davis Diaz flies out to LF.
-RJ Austin strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
*Ethan Payne pinch-hitting for Dylan Dreiling*
-Ethan Payne HBP.
*Colby Backus pinch-hitting for Hunter Ensley*
-Colby Backus strikes out swinging.
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
*Ariel Antigua pinch-hitting for Dean Curley*
-Antigua grounds out to P.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Commodores 12
9th Inning:
T9
*Pitching change: So. RHP JJ Garcia (3-0, 3.86 ERA) on to pitch for Matthew Dallas*
*Dalton Bargo to LF for Blake Burke*
*Bradke Lohry to 2B for Christian Moore*
*Ethan Payne to 1B*
*Colby Backus to CF*
*Ariel Antigua to SS*
-Alan Espinal fouls out to 1B.
-Colin Barczi crushes a solo homer to right center.
-Matthew Polk strikes out swinging.
-Braden Holcomb works a walk.
-Jacob Humphrey strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B9
*Poteet to C for Espinal*
*Charlie Taylor pinch-hitting for Reese Chapman*
-Charlie Taylor grounds out to 3B.
-Cannon Peebles grounds out to SS.
-Bradke Lohry singles up the middle.
Lohry advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Dalton Bargo grounds out to 3B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Commodores 13
END OF GAME
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 4, Vanderbilt Commodores 13
