SCORE: Tennessee 6, Texas A&M 17 | FINAL (8 inning run rule)

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No. 1 Tennessee baseball (28-3, 9-2 SEC) is set to battle the Texas A&M Aggies (15-15, 2-9 SEC) Saturday in game three of a three-game series and game two of a doubleheader.

First pitch at Lindsey Nelson Stadium is at *7:00 p.m. ET* on SEC Network +.

Saturday turned into a doubleheader because of the inclement weather projected in Sunday’s forecast. More details are in the article below.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Tennessee Baseball Playing Doubleheader Against Texas A&M On Saturday

The Vols enter game two of the doubleheader coming off a 9-3 loss in the first game on Saturday. Marcus Phillips had his worst outing of the season, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings pitched. Sloppy defense allowed the game to get away in Nate Snead’s relief outing.

On Friday, Tennessee picked up a 10-0 run-rule series-opening win in which Liam Doyle and Dylan Loy combined to throw a no-hitter. The left-handed duo accomplished the feat in seven innings. Doyle was amazing in 6.0 innings and Loy finished it off with a 1-2-3 seventh.

Read recaps of games one and two below.

GAME ONE RECAP: Liam Doyle Leads Way As Tennessee Baseball Throws Combined No-Hitter Against Texas A&M

GAME TWO RECAP: Tennessee Baseball Drops Game Two Of Weekend Series Against Texas A&M

Friday’s win marked Tennessee’s fifth combined no-hitter, 10th overall in program history and second this season. The Vols no-hit St. Bonaventure in a 12-0 series-opening win in March.

Before the St. Bonaventure no-hitter, Tennessee had last recorded one in 2002 against Bowling Green. This year is the first time Tennessee has recorded multiple no-hitters in the same season since 1976.

NO-NO: Tennessee Baseball Records 10th No-Hitter in Program History in Run-Rule Win Over Texas A&M

DOMINANCE: What Liam Doyle Said After Throwing Combined No-Hitter For Tennessee Baseball

Before the Texas A&M series, Tennessee beat Tennessee Tech in a 7-1 midweek win. AJ Russell made his return to action in the win, tossing a scoreless first inning in an opener role.

Last weekend, Tennessee swept South Carolina on the road. Hunter Ensley and Dalton Bargo raked at the plate, Andrew Fischer had a pair of homers, and Tennessee’s pitching staff was highlighted by great performances from true freshmen Tegan Kuhns and Brayden Krenzel in a 7-2 series-sweeping finale.

Tennessee has been dominant 31 games in to the season. This is just Tennessee’s second series rubber match of the season. The Vols won the decisive game three of their series at Alabama last month.

Following the South Carolina series sweep, Tennessee became the consensus No. 1 team again in all five polls.

HIGHLIGHT: Ariel Antigua Makes ‘One of the Best’ Plays Tony Vitello Has Ever Seen

In the ETSU loss, star second baseman Gavin Kilen suffered a hamstring injury when an ETSU player slid into him. The junior has not been in the starting lineup since and is once again not in the lineup for game two of the doubleheader against the Aggies.

Head coach Tony Vitello said Kilen is at “more [of a] pinch-hit status” this weekend against the Aggies.

Kilen has seen playing time since his injury, though, getting a pinch-hit at-bat in the eighth in game two at South Carolina. The star second baseman has yet to play this weekend against the Aggies.

Manny Marin has been Tennessee’s primary second baseman with Kilen sidelined. Ariel Antigua has started at shortstop and Dean Curley has moved to third base in the last nine games. That remains the case for the series finale.

The worst part of Tennessee’s season so far is first baseman Alberto Osuna having his injunction for another season of eligibility denied by a judge at the beginning of March.

In response, Osuna penned a letter to the NCAA requesting they make things right and grant him eligibility.

Read more about the court’s decision and its impact on Osuna HERE.

Injury/Availability Notes

• 2B Gavin Kilen is still out of the lineup with a hamstring injury. The most he will do in the Texas A&M series is pinch-hit.
• UNC transfer first baseman Alberto Osuna remains ineligible.
• Infielder Alex Perry, who was in competition to start at first base before Osuna’s arrival, left the program in January to tend to a personal matter. It remains to be seen when or if Perry will return. He is in his second season at Tennessee.

Opponent Scout

The Aggies have significantly underwhelmed so far this season. After being preseason No. 1, Texas A&M finds themselves 2-9 in SEC play and 15-15 overall. They have gotten swept by Alabama and Georgia and lost two of three games to Kentucky a week ago.

It’s tough to pinpoint why A&M has struggled so much. Gavin Grahovac’s season-ending injury and the coaching change is certainly a factor, but the Aggies have too much talent at the plate and on the mound for this season to make sense.

The Aggies have their backs against the wall a bit, and they still have plenty of talent to win a game. While a series win is undoubtedly the expectation and a sweep very possible, expect A&M to throw its best punch in Saturday’s doubleheader as they showed in game one.

TRANSCRIPT: Everything Tony Vitello Said After Tennessee Run-Ruled Texas A&M In Series Opener

For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, click here.

For the latest RTI Diamond Pass, discussing THREE BIG questions nine games into SEC play, click here.

VIDEO: Tony Vitello Talks No-Hitter Against Texas A&M

Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.

TENNESSEE STARTING NINE: 

2B Dean Curley (R)

3B Dalton Bargo (L)

CF Hunter Ensley (R)

1B Andrew Fischer (L)

RF Reese Chapman (L)

LF Jay Abernathy (L)

DH Chris Newstrom (R)

C Cannon Peebles (S)

SS Ariel Antigua (R)

Lineup Notes:

• With Gavin Kilen still out of the lineup with a hamstring, Dean Curley moves to second base while the red-hot Dalton Bargo moves to 3B
• Ariel Antigua stays at shortstop where he has started the last eight games.
• Jay Abernathy is back in left field after not starting in game one of the doubleheader. Chris Newstrom stays in the lineup as the designated hitter.
• Cannon Peebles is behind the plate for game three, as has been the case for most game threes of a series.

TEXAS A&M STARTING NINE: 

RF Terrence Kiel II (R)

CF Jace LaViolette (L)

3B Wyatt Henseler (R)

DH Caden Sorrell (L)

C Bear Harrison (R)

SS Kaeden Kent (L)

1B Blake Binderup (R)

2B Ben Royo (R)

LF Sawyer Farr (S)

Pitching Matchup:

Vols Fr. RHP Tegan Kuhns (2-0, 1.08 ERA, 7 app., 4 starts, 16.2 IP, 13 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 17 K, 3 XBH, .210 opp. batting avg., 1.08 WHIP)

vs.

Aggies Jr. LHP Myles Patton (2-3, 3.82 ERA, 7 app., 7 starts, 37.2 IP, 32 H, 16 R, 16 ER, 7 BB, 40 K, 12 XBH, .234 opp. batting avg., 1.04 WHIP))

Pitching notes:

• Kuhns continues to start in a day three setting. The true freshman has been great the last two weeks at Alabama and South Carolina (7 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 6 K in 8.1 IP)
  • Expect Brayden Krenzel to see time out of Tennessee bullpen, as well as Tanner Franklin
  • Kuhns has still been a bit limited. He hasn’t thrown more than 4.1 innings or 71 pitches. We’ll see if that remains the case against Texas A&M.
• Like game two starter Justin Lamkin, Patton has been solid this season but is coming off his worst game of the season against Kentucky (8 H, 7 R in 4.0 IP)
  • Patton gave up a combined three runs on 10 hits in his starts against Alabama and Vanderbilt prior to the Kentucky outing.
  • Patton is not a strikeout guy. Averaging just under 10 Ks per nine.

Uniforms

Tennessee: Orange hats, cream jerseys, cream pants

Texas A&M: Maroon hats, maroon jerseys, grey pants

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*NOTES*

• The run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC play. If Tennessee or Texas A&M leads by 10 or more runs after the seventh inning, the game is over.

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GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Terrence Kiel strikes out swinging.

-Jace LaViollete strikes out swinging.

-Wyatt Henseler singles to center field.

-Caden Sorrell softly hit grounder finds a hole in the left side of the infield for a single. Henseler advances to second.

-Bear Harrison mashes a three-run homer into the porches in left field.

-Kaeden Kent grounds out to second.

B1

-Dean Curley hits a hard fly out to center field.

-Dalton Bargo strikes out swinging.

-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.

Score: Vols 0, Aggies 3

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Blake Binderup strikes out looking.

-Ben Royo grounds out to third base.

-Sawyer Farr flies out to centerfield.

B2

-Andrew Fischer walks.

-Reese Chapman lines into a 5-3 double play.

-Jay Abernathy grounds out to second base.

Score: Vols 0, Aggies 3

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Kiel groundout out to shortstop.

-LaViolette walks.

LaViolette steals second.

-Henseler pops out to second base.

-Sorrell singles to right field. LaViolette scores. Sorrell advances to second on the throw home.

-Harrison walks.

-Kent walks. Harrison advances to second and Sorrell advances to third.

RHP Brayden Krenzel (2-0, 1.12 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 16 IP) is coming in to pitch for Kuhns

-Binderup strikes out swinging.

B3

-Chris Newstrom singles to right field.

-Cannon Peebles singles to centerfield. Newstrom advances to second.

-Ariel Antigua sac bunts the runners over. Newstrom advances to third. Peebles to second.

-Curley singles to left field. Newstrom scores, Peebles advances to third.

Curley is out stealing second. Peebles scores coming home on the throw to second.

-Bargo doubles to left field.

Score: Vols 2, Aggies 4

4th Inning: 

T4

-Royo homers to left field.

-Farr strikes out swinging.

-Kiel singles up the middle.

-LaViollete hits a grounder off Krenzel’s foot for an infield single. Kiel advances to second.

-Henseler hits a three-run homer off the batter’s eye in centerfield.

-Sorrell strikes out looking.

-Harrison walks.

LHP Dylan Loy (4-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.36 WHIP, 14 IP) is coming in to relieve Krenzel

-Kent hits a two-run homer to left field.

-Binderup strikes out swinging.

B4

-Fischer strikes out swinging.

-Chapman flies out to right field.

-Abernathy strikes out swinging.

Score: Vols 2, Aggies 10

5th Inning: 

T5

LHP Brayden Sharp (1-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 7.1 IP) is in to pitch for Tennessee.

-Royo homers to left field.

-Farr grounds out to shortstop.

-Kiel strikes out swinging.

-LaViolette singles to second base.

-Henseller hits a two-run homer to left field.

-Sorrell homers to right field.

RHP Tanner Franklin comes in to relieve Sharp

-Harrison lines out to second base

B5

-Newstrom doubles to left field.

-Peebles singles to left field. Newstrom advances to third.

-Antigua strikes out looking.

-Curley drives Newstrom home with a RBI groundout. Peebles advances to second.

-Bargo singles to third base. Peebles advances to third.

-Ensley grounds out to third.

Score: Vols 2, Aggies 14

6th Inning: 

T6

-Kent walks.

-Binderup strikes out swinging.

-Royo strikes out swinging.

-Farr strikes out swinging.

B6

-Fischer fouls out to left field.

-Chapman pops out to shortstop.

-Abernathy singles to left field.

-Newstrom strikes out swinging.

Score: Vols 3, Aggies 14

7th Inning: 

T7

-Kiel grounds out to third base.

-LaViolette strikes out looking.

-Henseler grounds out to third base

B7

LHP Kaiden Wilson is in to pitch for Texas A&M

Levi Clark pinch hits for Peebles

-Clark walks.

Blake Grimmer pinch hits for Antigua

-Grimmer strikes out swinging.

-Curley singles to centerfield.

-Bargo pops out to shortstop.

-Ensley hits a three-run homer.

-Fischer grounds out to second base.

Score: Vols 6, Aggies 14

8th Inning: 

T8

Jay Abernathy moves to second base. Blake Grimmer is in left field and Levi Clark is catching.

-Sorrell walks.

-Harrison pops out to second base.

-Kent singled to left field. Sorrell advances to second.

Nathan Tobin pinch runs for Sorrell

-Binderup walks. Tobin advances to third. Kent advances to second.

Hayden Schott pinch hits for Sawyer Farr

-Schott singles to center field. Tobin and Kent score. Binderup advances to third.

RHP Austin Breedlove is coming in to relieve Tanner Franklin

Jamal George pinch runs for Schott.

-Kiel singles to right field. Binderup scores. George advances to second.

-LaViolette strikes out swinging.

B8

Hunter High pinch hits for Chapman

-High struck out swinging.

-Abernathy struck out looking.

-Newstrom struck out looking.

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 6, Texas A&M Aggies 17 (8 inning run rule)