SCORE: Tennessee 3, Missouri 2 | FINAL
***SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED***
Third-ranked Tennessee baseball (35-7, 13-6 SEC) is set to host the Missouri Tigers (19-24, 6-13 SEC) Friday in game two of a three-game series in Knoxville.
First pitch is at 6:30 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 also watch or listen to the game using the links.
Game two is the only game of the series not televised. Game three will air on the SEC Network like game one did.
This is Tennessee’s first of three Thursday–Saturday weekend series. Next week at Florida is a Thursday–Saturday series, and the final series of the season vs. South Carolina will be Thursday–Saturday.
Tennessee is looking to clinch the weekend series over the Tigers with a win on Friday after blowing out Missouri in the series opener, 10-1.
AJ Causey provided the Vols with yet another elite relief outing while the offense tied a season-high with six home runs in the game. Christian Moore picked up where he left off from last weekend’s heroics with a 3-4 day at the plate including a homer. Cal Stark and Hunter Ensley also homered, and Cannon Peebles hit his first home run of the season.
Billy Amick also left the yard twice, bringing his home run total to four in the past two games. In the win, Tennessee also debuted the black helmets with their ‘Dark Mode’ alternate uniforms.
Read more about Tennessee’s dominant series-opening win here.
Prior to the win over Missouri, the Vols had their most impressive weekend to date last weekend, as they beat (then) third-ranked Kentucky in a three-game series on the road. Tennessee won games two and three 9-4 and 13-11, respectively, after dropping the opener in Lexington, 5-3.
The series win catapulted Tennessee over Kentucky in the rankings, and the Vols are the unanimous number three team in the country behind fellow SEC squads Texas A&M and Arkansas.
In addition to the monumental series win in Lexington, Tennessee owns a series sweep over defending national champions LSU in Knoxville, series wins over No. 20 Georgia and Ole Miss at home, and a series victory over Auburn on the road.
A win over Missouri on Friday would mark the Vols’ sixth straight SEC series victory.
In addition to the five conference series wins, some highlights from Tennessee’s season have been its series sweep over Illinois, 10-run midweek win over Kansas State, and wins over Texas Tech and Baylor in Arlington.
As for Missouri, the Tigers have been among the worst teams in the SEC this season. Sitting at a 6-13 conference record, Missouri has lost all but one series in league play. The Tigers’ lone conference series win came against Florida, who they swept. Missouri also owns wins against Kentucky, Georgia and LSU. Vanderbilt and Arkansas are the only teams to sweep Missouri this season.
On paper, Missouri is the least difficult series remaining on Tennessee’s schedule, and a sweep should be the Vols’ goal.
Injury Note
-Sophomore RHP AJ Russell remains out as he deals with 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 what Tony Vitello said after the series-opening victory over Missouri, click here.
For RTI’s latest Press Pass Baseball Podcast, click here.
More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball vs. Missouri Game One LIVE Thread
WATCH: Bru McCoy Fires Ceremonial First Pitch
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)
SS Dean Curley (R)
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
DH Dalton Bargo (L)
C Cal Stark (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Dalton Bargo gets the DH nod after Reese Chapman started on Friday. The two have been rotating at the DH spot regularly.
- Cal Stark starting behind the plate for the sixth straight time in SEC play. Stark is the bona-fide No. 1 catcher now for the Vols.
- Outfield trio remains the same as its been in SEC play.
- Top seven of the order remain the same.
MISSOURI STARTING NINE:
LF Brock Daniels (L)
3B Trevor Austin (R)
CF Kaden Peer (L)
C Jedier Hernandez (R)
2B Matt Garcia (S)
DH Mateo Serna (S)
RF Jackson Lovich (R)
SS Drew Culbertson (R)
1B Danny Corona (L)
Pitching Matchup:
Vols Jr. RHP Drew Beam (5-1, 3.40 ERA, 10 app., 10 starts, 2 CG, 55.2 IP, 62 H, 29 R, 21 ER, 12 BB, 49 K, .282 opp. batting avg., 1.33 WHIP)
vs.
Tigers So. RHP Logan Lunceford (1-3, 7.44 ERA, 10 app., 10 starts, 42.1 IP, 51 H, 40 R, 35 ER, 15 BB, 39 K, .291 opp. batting avg., 1.56 WHIP)
Pitching notes:
- Beam continues to start the second game of the series.
- Lunceford is the only Missouri pitcher to start every single weekend this season. He’s been hit or miss. Was great three weeks ago against Florida (1 H, 0 R in 6.0 IP) but is coming off his worst outing of the season against LSU (7 H, 8 R in 2.2 IP)
Uniforms
Tennessee: Icy whites, orange caps
Missouri: Yellow tops, black pants, black caps with yellow accents
*NOTE* There IS a RUN-RULE today. If Tennessee or Missouri leads by 10 or more runs in the seventh inning or later, the game is OVER.
- Run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC games.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Brock Daniels flies out to LF.
-Trevor Austin pops up to 1B.
-Kaden Peer drives a single up the middle.
-Jedier Hernandez smacks a single to the right-center gap. Peer advances to third.
-Matt Garcia strikes out looking.
- Strike three was outside the zone, but Tennessee will take it.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore flies out to RF.
-Blake Burke strikes out swinging.
-Billy Amick rips a single to LF on the first pitch of his at-bat.
-Kavares Tears grounds out to 2B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Tigers 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Mateo Serna HBP.
-Jackson Lovich lines into a 9-3 double play.
- Incredible diving catch by Kavares Tears. He then got up and fired a dart to Burke to get Serna out. Great defensive play by KT.
-Drew Culbertson flies out to CF.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Dylan Dreiling is walked on four pitches.
-Dean Curley grounds into a 6-4-3 double play.
-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Tigers 0
3rd Inning:
T3
-Danny Corona flies out to CF.
- Ensley had to run back to the wall to catch it. Nice play.
-Brock Daniels grounds out to 3B.
-Trevor Austin strikes out looking.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Dalton Bargo fouls out to 2B in foul territory in right field after a long at-bat.
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
-Christian Moore works a walk.
Blake Burke just roped a foul ball and broke his bat in half. The barrel landed in shallow right field.
-Blake Burke strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Tigers 0
4th Inning:
T4
-Kaden Peer strikes out looking.
- Third backwards K for Beam tonight.
-Jedier Hernandez is walked on four pitches.
-Matt Garcia strikes out looking.
- Make that four backwards Ks.
-Mateo Serna singles up the middle. Hernandez advances to second.
-Jackson Lovich sends a single to RF to load the bases.
- Nice throw by Tears from the outfield to keep the runner at third.
Cal Stark picks off Lovich at first. Great and very significant play.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Billy Amick flies out to RF.
-Kavares Tears flies out to RF.
-Dylan Dreiling legs out a single to 3B.
- Nice speed displayed there by Dreiling.
-Dean Curley slaps a single to right field. Dreiling advances to third. Curley advances to second on the throw to third.
Dreiling scores on a wild pitch. Curley advances to third on the wild pitch.
-Hunter Ensley ropes an RBI double to LF to score Curley.
-Dalton Bargo grounds out to 1B unassisted.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Tigers 0
5th Inning:
T5
-Drew Culbertson strikes out looking.
- All five Ks for Beam tonight have been looking.
-Danny Corona flies out to the warning track in left center.
-Brock Daniels fouls out to C.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Cal Stark flies out to CF.
-Christian Moore knocks a single to right center.
-Blake Burke reaches on a fielder’s choice to 3B. Moore out at second, 5-6.
-Billy Amick singles through the left side. Burke advances to second.
-Kavares Tears flies out to RF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Tigers 0
6th Inning:
T6
-Trevor Austin HBP.
-Kaden Peer flies out to CF.
-Jedier Hernandez flies out to the warning track in RF.
Aaron Combs is warming up in the bullpen.
-Matt Garcia lines out to SS.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
*Pitching change: Sr. LHP Ian Lohse (0-2, 5.40 ERA) on to pitch for Lunceford*
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.
-Dean Curley smokes a line drive single off of the inside of the pitcher’s right leg. 104 mph off the bat.
Trainers out to check on Lohse.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Brock Lucas (4-0, 2.73 ERA) on to pitch for Lohse*
-Hunter Ensley grounds out to 3B. Curley advances to second.
-Dalton Bargo grounds out to 1B unassisted.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Tigers 0
7th Inning:
T7
-Mateo Serna strikes out swinging.
- Lost grip of the bat on strike three and it flung into Tennessee’s dugout. Luckily, no one was hit.
-Jackson Lovich strikes out swinging.
-Drew Culbertson strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
-Cal Stark smokes a double off the top of the wall in right center.
Stark advances to third on a wild pitch.
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Blake Burke connects on an RBI groundout to 1B. Stark scores.
-Billy Amick fouls out to C.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 3, Tigers 0
8th Inning:
T8
Drew Beam still on the mound.
-Danny Corona singles to SS.
-Brock Daniels reaches on a fielder’s choice to 2B. Corona out at second, 4-6.
-Trevor Austin smokes a two-run homer to LF. Moonshot.
*Pitching change: Sr. LHP Kirby Connell (4-0, 5.62 ERA) on to pitch for Beam*
- Great outing from Beam. Likely left out there too long. Was at 100 pitches entering the 8th. Finished with 106.
-Kaden Peer out at first 1B to P.
- Nice play by Kirby and good toss from Blake.
Missouri challenging the call. Call CONFIRMED.
-Jedier Hernandez strikes out swinging.
- Big swing and miss on strike three.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
-Dylan Dreiling pops up to SS.
-Dean Curley grounds out to P.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 3, Tigers 2
9th Inning:
T9
-Matt Garcia grounds out to P on a bunt.
-Matteo Serna grounds out to P.
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Aaron Combs (1-1, 3.68 ERA) on to pitch for Connell*
-Jackson Lovich reaches on a fielding error by P.
-Drew Culbertson flies out to RF.
END OF TOP HALF
Score: Vols 3, Tigers 2
END OF GAME
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 3, Missouri Tigers 2
