SCORE: Tennessee 15, Ole Miss 4 | FINAL (7 inn. – run rule)
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Eighth-ranked Tennessee baseball (20-4, 2-3 SEC) is set to battle Ole Miss (17-7, 3-2 SEC) in Knoxville on Sunday for game three of a three-game series. Tennessee will aim to clinch the series over the Rebels after earning a 15-3 blowout, run-rule win in the series opener and losing game two, 8-5.
First pitch is at 1:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network +. 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 watch or listen to the game using the links.
Friday and Saturday’s games could not have been more different. The Vols teed off on the Rebels’ Friday night starter, and the game was never close. Saturday, Tennessee struggled mightily against Ole Miss’ starter Liam Doyle. The Big Orange were able to find life at the plate in the seventh and eighth innings to take the lead, but Ole Miss scored four go-ahead runs in the ninth.
The tying run came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth for Tennessee, but in the end, Ole Miss was able to hold on and even the series.
Read all about Tennessee’s loss to Ole Miss on a chaotic night in Lindsey Nelson Stadium here. Read all about Tennessee’s dominant series-opening win here.
Saturday’s loss marked the first home loss of the season for Tennessee, snapping a 19-game home winning streak that dated back to last season.
Sunday’s rubber match is highly significant for the Vols, as they are still searching for their first SEC series win. Tennessee began SEC play with a series loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa last weekend. The Tide won games two and three after Tennessee won in the series opener, 11-3.
Prior to Tennessee’s back-to-back losses to Alabama in Tuscaloosa, the Vols had won 17 straight, including series sweeps over UAlbany, Bowling Green and Illinois along with wins over Kansas State and Baylor.
Ole Miss entered the series coming off a series win over South Carolina in Oxford to open SEC play. The Rebels took two of three over the Gamecocks, winning games one and three. Ole Miss also owns series wins over Iowa (2 of 3), High Point (2 of 3) and Morehead State (3 of 3) along with midweek wins over Southern Miss and Memphis. The Rebels opened their season splitting a four-game series against Hawaii in Honolulu.
This weekend’s series marks the first time Tennessee and Ole Miss have squared off since 2022, when the Vols swept the then top-ranked Rebels in Oxford. Tennessee and Ole Miss haven’t met in Knoxville since 2019, when the Vols won two of three.
For all of RTI’s baseball coverage this season, click here.
More From RTI: RTI Reaction: Talking Tennessee Basketball’s NCAA Tournament Win Over Texas
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)
RF Kavares Tears (L)
LF Dylan Dreiling (L)
DH Robin Villeneuve (R)
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
C Cannon Peebles (S)
SS Dean Curley (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Peebles gets his second start behind the plate this weekend. He also started Friday. Stark started Saturday but is NOT in the lineup today.
- Villeneuve got the DH start in all three games as Dalton Bargo is still not 100 percent with a hamstring injury.
- Ensley starts in center for the second straight day. Tears stays in right.
- Top five of the order remains the same.
OLE MISS STARTING NINE:
1B Jackson Ross (R)
3B Andrew Fischer (L)
LF Ethan Lege (R)
CF Ethan Groff (R)
RF Treyson Hughes (L)
SS Luke Hill (R)
DH Bo Gatlin (R)
2B Reagan Burford (R)
C Campbell Smithwick (L)
Pitching Matchup:
Vols Sr. LHP Zander Sechrist (0-0, 3.31 ERA, 6 app., 5 starts, 16.1 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 21 K, .224 opp. batting avg., 0.98 WHIP)
vs.
Rebels So. RHP Grayson Saunier (3-2, 4.09 ERA, 5 app., 5 starts, 22.0 IP, 21 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 9 BB, 17 K, .247 opp. batting avg., 1.36 WHIP)
Pitching notes:
- Sechrist makes his first weekend start since the UAlbany series.
- Sechrist was very shaky in his first start of the season against Baylor, but was solid as an opener against UAlbany. Those are Sechrist’s only two weekend starts this season.
- Sechrist has started three consecutive midweeks and has done well in all of his appearances, including an incredible 5.2-inning outing against Southern Indiana in which he allowed five hits and one run.
- This is Sechrist’s FIRST SEC START of his season and career. Also the first time Sechrist will see action against an SEC opponent this year.
- Saunier has been a member of the Rebels’ starting rotation all season, starting the past four Sundays after starting a Saturday in opening weekend.
- Saunier wasn’t great against South Carolina last week, giving up nine hits and five earned runs in 4.1 innings. Other than that and a rocky performance on opening weekend against Hawaii, Saunier has mostly been solid.
- But expect Tennessee’s offense to not struggle as much as they did on Saturday.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Sunday creams
Ole Miss: Light blue tops and bottoms with red accents. Beautiful unis.
*NOTE* There is a run-rule today. If Tennessee or Ole Miss leads by 10 or more runs in the seventh inning or later, the game is over.
- The run-rule is mandatory for ALL SEC games.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Jackson Ross fouls out to 1B.
-Andrew Fischer strikes out swinging.
-Ethan Lege singles to SS, advances to second on a throwing error by Curley.
-Ethan Groff flies out to shallow RF.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Blake Burke doubles to LF. Now has a hit streak of 15 games and has 14 doubles on the year (SEC lead).
-Billy Amick strikes out swinging.
-Kavares Tears mashes a two-run homer deep over the right-center wall. 109 mph off the bat, 430-feet. His 8th home run of the season (tied for 2nd on the team).
-Dylan Dreiling flies out to LF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Rebels 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Treyson Hughes strikes out swinging.
-Luke Hill singles to CF.
-Bo Gatlin strikes out looking.
-Reagan Burford singles up the middle. Hill advances to second.
-Campbell Smithwick smacks an RBI single to CF to score Hill. Burford advances to third. Smithwick tries to reach second, but he’s easily thrown out, 5-6.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Robin Villeneuve strikes out swinging.
-Hunter Ensley flies out to RF.
-Cannon Peebles flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Rebels 1
3rd Inning:
T3
-Jackson Ross grounds out to SS. Nice pick by Burke.
-Andrew Fischer works a walk.
-Ethan Lege singles to left center. Fischer advances to second.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Nate Snead (4-1, 2.84 ERA) on to pitch for Sechrist*
-Ethan Groff fouls out to 1B.
-Treyson Hughes singles to 3B. Amick nearly made a great play, but the throw was just a tad too late. Bases loaded for Luke Hill.
-Luke Hill grounds into a fielder’s choice at SS. Hughes out at second, 6-4.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Dean Curley singles to LF.
-Christian Moore sends a two-run homer to the bullpen in right field. A Lindsey Nelson special. 345-feet.
-Blake Burke fouls out to 3B.
-Billy Amick is walked.
-Kavares Tears legs out an infield single to SS.
-Dylan Dreiling crushes a three-run home run to right field. 108 mph, 413-feet. Dreiling’s 8th HR of the season.
-Robin Villeneuve flies out to CF.
*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Wes Mendes (0-0, 5.40 ERA) on to pitch for Saunier*
-Hunter Ensley flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 7, Rebels 1
4th Inning:
T4
-Bo Gatlin strikes out swinging.
-Reagan Burford singles to SS. Curley slipped which caused the delay on his throw. Would’ve been a tough out either way.
-Campbell Smithwick strikes out swinging.
-Jackson Ross knocks a two-run home run to right field.
-Andrew Fischer grounds out to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Cannon Peebles strikes out looking.
-Dean Curley smokes a solo homer to left field. His 8th HR of the season. 388-feet.
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Blake Burke singles through the left side.
-Billy Amick delivers an RBI double to left center to score Burke all the way from first. Nice job by Burke to make it home. Amick also breaks his RBI dry spell, as it’s his first RBI since March 8 against Illinois.
-Kavares Tears flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 9, Rebels 3
5th Inning:
T5
-Ethan Lege grounds out to 3B, tagged out by Burke. Amick made a poor throw that took Burke off the bag, but he was still able to make the tag.
-Ethan Groff singles to P on a bunt. Was initially ruled out but the call was OVERTURNED to safe after review.
-Treyson Hughes strikes out looking.
Groff steals second.
-Luke Hill singles to 3B. Amick could’ve made a better throw to potentially get the out, but it would have been a tough play. Runners on the corners with two outs.
-Bo Gatlin strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Dylan Dreiling grounds out to 3B.
-Robin Villeneuve works a walk.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Mason Morris (1-1, 3.09 ERA) on to pitch for Mendes*
-Hunter Ensley ropes a single through the left side. Villeneuve advances to second.
-Cannon Peebles works a walk. Bases loaded for Dean Curley.
-Curley delivers with a two-run single through the right side. Peebles advances to third. Three-hit day for Curley.
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Mason Nichols (3-0, 0.71 ERA) on to pitch for Morris*
-Christian Moore pops up to 1B.
Curley steals second.
-Blake Burke walks after an incredible at-bat to load the bases for Billy Amick.
-Billy Amick smokes a grand slam to left field after a great AB.
-Kavares Tears singles to RF.
*Pitching change: RHP Brayden Jones (0-0, 3.48 ERA) on to pitch for Nichols*
-Dylan Dreiling grounds out to SS.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 15, Rebels 3
6th Inning:
T6
-Reagan Burford strikes out swinging, out at first C to 1B.
-Campbell Smithwick strikes out looking. New career high for Snead in Ks with six.
-Jackson Ross grounds out to SS.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
*Ethan Payne pinch-hitting for Robin Villeneuve*
-Payne strikes out looking.
-Hunter Ensley strikes out looking.
-Cannon Peebles flies out to LF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 15, Rebels 3
7th Inning:
T7
-Andrew Fischer grounds out to SS.
-John Kramer grounds out to 2B.
-Judd Utermark smacks a solo homer to left center.
-Treyson Hughes pops up to 1B.
END OF GAME
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 15, Ole Miss Rebels 4
