SCORE: Tennessee 19, Auburn 5 | FINAL (7 inn. – Run-Rule)

*SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED*

Fourth-ranked Tennessee baseball (25-6, 6-5 SEC) is back on the road this weekend after spending the last two weekends at home earning series victories over Ole Miss and Georgia.

The Vols are looking for their third straight series victory as they battle the Auburn Tigers (18-12, 2-9 SEC) in a series rubber match on Sunday.

First pitch is at 2:00 p.m. ET, and SEC Network+ is streaming the game. 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 lost the series opener on Friday, 9-5, before dominating the Tigers in game two, 12-2 (7 inn. – run-rule).

While Auburn owns just two wins in league play, the Tigers are a better team than the record indicates, as they’ve had a number of tight losses.

This series is Tennessee’s second on the road this season. The first came on SEC opening weekend when the Vols lost two of three in Tuscaloosa.

Sunday’s rubber match marks the fourth straight rubber match for the Vols this season. They are 2-1 in such matches so far, winning the most previous two in Lindsey Nelson Stadium against Ole Miss and Georgia.

In addition to the series wins over Ole Miss and Georgia, some highlights from Tennessee’s season have been its series sweep over Illinois, 10-run midweek win over Kansas State, plus wins over Texas Tech and Baylor in Arlington.

Injury Note

-3B Billy Amick is traveling with Tennessee to Auburn this week but is “likely out” for the weekend series. Dalton Bargo is starting at third, while Curley keeps his shortstop role. Bargo started at third all three games this weekend.

-Vitello said left-handed relief pitcher Andrew Behnke is expected to return this weekend after missing the previous three weeks (sickness). But he has not pitched yet.

-AJ Russell is out again this weekend as he battles forearm soreness. Russell will likely be out for a while, but he didn’t suffer a very serious injury.

For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, including the at-bat by at-bat thread from Tennessee’s series-evening win over Auburn, click here.

More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball Run-Rules Auburn To Even Weekend Series

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)

LF Dylan Dreiling (L)

RF Kavares Tears (L)

3B Dalton Bargo (L)

CF Hunter Ensley (R)

SS Dean Curley (R)

DH Reese Chapman (L)

C Cal Stark (C)

Lineup Notes:

• Same lineup as Saturday. First time Tennessee has used the same lineup back-to-back days.
• Dalton Bargo starts at third in place of Amick and stays in the five-hole for the second straight day.
• Reese Chapman gets the DH nod over Villeneuve, rightfully so as Chapman has been better as of late.
• Ensley gets the outfield start for the third straight day. First time in a while Ensley has started every game of the series.
• Stark handles catcher duties for the third straight game. Seems Stark is now the 1A behind the plate with Cannon Peebles struggling. First time this season Stark has started every game of a series.

AUBURN STARTING NINE:

SS Cooper Weiss (R)

C Ike Irish (L)

1B Cooper McMurray (L)

CF Chris Stanfield (R)

LF Mason Maners (L)

DH Gavin Miller (R)

C Carter Wright (R)

3B Eric Guevara (R)

2B Caden Green (R)

Pitching Matchup:

Vols Sr. LHP Zander Sechrist (1-0, 2.55 ERA, 8 app., 7 starts, 24.2 IP, 22 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 31 K, .242 opp. batting avg.,  1.09 WHIP)

vs.

Tigers Jr. RHP Will Cannon (0-0, 5.54 ERA, 9 app., 0 starts, 13.0 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 17 K, .288 opp. batting avg., 1.69 WHIP)

Pitching notes:

• Sechrist gets his third straight start on a Sunday in SEC play. He was solid two weeks ago and shoved last week in a career-best outing against Georgia.
• Fourth career start, first start of the season for Cannon, as he’s been a bullpen guy so far this season.

Uniforms

Tennessee: Dark Mode

Auburn: TBD

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*NOTE* There IS a RUN-RULE today. If Tennessee or Auburn leads by 10 or more runs in the seventh inning or later, the game is OVER.

• The run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC games.

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GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Christian Moore flies out to CF.

-Blake Burke grounds out to 1B unassisted.

-Dylan Dreiling flies out to RF.

END OF TOP HALF

B1

-Cooper Weiss singles to right center.

-Ike Irish singles to RF. Weiss advances to second.

-Cooper McMurray smokes a three-run homer to RF.

-Chris Stanfield strikes out swinging.

-Mason Maners grounds out to SS.

-Gavin Miller flies out to LF.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Tigers 3

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Kavares Tears works a leadoff walk.

-Dalton Bargo smacks a single to RF. Tears advances to third.

-Hunter Ensley is plunked to load the bases for Dean Curley with no outs.

-Dean Curley is issued a four-pitch bases loaded walk to bring in a run.

-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.

-Cal Stark launches a grand slam to left center. His second grand slam of the season, second of the weekend for the Vols and ninth of the seasn. Already a program record single-season grand slams.

-Christian Moore smokes a solo home run to CF. He’s one away from Burke for the program HR record. Now tied for second place with Luc Lipcius.

*Pitching change: RHP Parker Carlson (2-1, 1.32 ERA) on to pitch for Cannon*

-Blake Burke flies out to RF.

-Dylan Dreiling smacks a double to RF.

Dreiling advances to third on a wild pitch.

-Kavares Tears is walked. Vols have batter through the order this inning.

-Dalton Bargo reaches on an error by 2B. Tears advances to third. Dreiling scores due to the error.

-Hunter Ensley flies out to CF.

END OF TOP HALF

B2

-Carter Wright flies out to CF.

-Eric Guevara flies out to RF.

-Caden Green flies out to CF.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 7, Tigers 3

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Dean Curley ropes a double to LF. Left-fielder should have made the catch, but it’s ruled a hit.

-Reese Chapman is walked after a long at-bat.

-Cal Stark stays red hot with a three-run homer to LF. A no doubter. 2 homers on the day for Stark. First two homer day of his career.

-Christian Moore is walked.

*Pitching change: RHP Cam Tilly (3-0, 7.31 ERA) on to pitch for Carlson*

-Blake Burke singles to RF. Moore advances to second.

-Dylan Dreiling is walked on four pitches to load the bases.

-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.

-Dalton Bargo strikes out swinging.

-Hunter Ensley is hit by a pitch to bring in a run. RBI HBP.

-Dean Curley flies out to CF.

END OF TOP HALF

B3

*Pitching change: So. RHP Nate Snead (5-1, 3.15 ERA) on to pitch for Sechrist*

-Cooper Weiss singles to LF.

-Ike Irish strikes out swinging.

-Cooper McMurray flies out to left center. To the warning track.

-Chris Stanfield strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 11, Tigers 3

4th Inning: 

T4

*Pitching change: RHP Joseph Gonzalez (2-1, 7.91 ERA) on to pitch for Tilly*

-Reese Chapman slaps a single to RF.

-Cal Stark continues his career day with a double to LF. Chapman advances to third. Would’ve been a homer in LNS.

-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.

-Blake Burke drives a two-run single through the left side. Hit streak extended to 22 games, which is the fourth-longest in program history. On-base streak at 30 games.

-Dylan Dreiling flies out to LF.

-Kavares Tears grounds out to SS.

END OF TOP HALF

B4

-Mason Maners is walked.

-Gavin Miller grounds out to SS. Maners advances to second. Nice play by Curley at short.

-Carter Wright smacks an RBI double to left center.

-Eric Guevara grounds out to 3B.

-Caden Green is hit by a pitch. Runners on first and second with two outs.

-Cooper Weiss grounds out to P.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 13, Tigers 4

5th Inning: 

T5

-Dalton Bargo grounds out at first, 1B to P.

-Hunter Ensley smokes a solo homer to LF. Vols back with a 10-run lead. Important for the run rule.

-Dean Curley grounds out to 2B. Great play by second baseman Caden Green who is shaken up after the play. Looks like something with his shoulder. Regardless, heck of a play from Green.

*Javon Hernandez to 2B for Green*

-Reese Chapman works a walk after a long at-bat.

-Cal Stark is hit by a pitch. Runners on first and second with two outs for Christian Moore. Stark is 3-3 at the plate with an HBP.

-Christian Moore rips a two-run double down the LF line. Great weekend from CMo at the plate. Stark and Chapman score.

-Blake Burke strikes out swinging. Prayers up for the camera man that got hit by a line drive foul ball from Blake Burke. Exited the game under his own power and looked OK, but that definitely hurt.

END OF TOP HALF

B5

-Ike Irish flies out to LF.

-Cooper McMurray strikes out swinging.

-Chris Stanfield singles to RF.

-Mason Maners flies out to CF.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 16, Tigers 4

6th Inning: 

T6

*Pitching change: RHP Alex Petrovic (0-0, 3.52 ERA) on to pitch for Gonzalez*

-Dylan Dreiling strikes out looking.

-Kavares Tears homers to RF. Solo shot. 10th of the season for Tears. Five Vols now have 10 homers.

-Dalton Bargo strikes out swinging.

-Hunter Ensley flies out to CF in right center.

END OF TOP HALF

B6

-Gage Miller hits a solo home run to CF.

-Carter Wright singles to RF.

-Eric Guevara grounds into a 5-4-3 double play.

-Javon Hernandez grounds out to 2B.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 17, Tigers 5

7th Inning: 

T7

-Dean Curley adds to Tennessee’s lead with a solo homer to left center off the scoreboard. The amount of home runs Tennessee is hitting is flat-out ridiculous. Curley’s 9th of the season. Tennessee’s sixth homer of the game and 12th in the past two days.

*Robin Villeneuve pinch-hitting for Reese Chapman*

-Villeneuve is hit by a pitch.

*Cannon Peebles pinch-hitting for Cal Stark*

-Peebles grounds into a 3-6 double play as Villeneuve is out at second easily. Unlucky play there which is nothing new for Peebles this season.

*Bradke Lohry pinch-hitting for Christian Moore*

-Lohry smokes a double off of the tall left-field wall. Would’ve been an LNS homer.

-Blake Burke brings him home with an RBI double to the back wall in CF on the first pitch he sees.

*Pitching change: RHP Ben Schorr (0-1, 3.37 ERA) on to pitch for Petrovic*

*Colby Backus pinch-hitting for Dylan Dreiling*

-Backus grounds out to 3B.

END OF TOP HALF

B7

*Pitching change: So. LHP Andrew Behnke (0-0, 1.80 ERA) on to pitch for Snead*

*Backus to LF*

*Peebles to C*

*Ariel Antigua to 2B for Lohry*

*Ethan Payne to 1B for Burke*

-Cooper Weiss grounds out to SS.

-Ike Irish strikes out swinging.

-Cooper McMurray flies out to CF.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 19, Tigers 5

END OF GAME

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 19, Auburn Tigers 5 (7 inn. – Run-Rule)