SCORE: Vols 8, Gamecocks 3 | FINAL (Vols win series, up 2-0)

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Top-ranked Tennessee baseball (44-10, 20-8 SEC) is set to host No. 24 South Carolina (33-19, 13-15 SEC) Friday night in game two of a three-game series in Knoxville.

First pitch in Lindsey Nelson Stadium is at 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network +. All three games this weekend will be 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.

The series serves as the final regular season SEC series for both teams, and it has massive implications for Tennessee as far as the race for the SEC crown goes. If the Vols sweep the Gamecocks and Kentucky doesn’t sweep Vanderbilt, Tennessee will be the No. 1 seed in Hoover and at least share a part of the SEC title.

Read more about how Tennessee can win the SEC here.

Tennessee can clinch the series with a win on Friday night after dominating South Carolina in the opener, 9-3. A Friday night win would give Tennessee their ninth straight SEC series win.

RECAP: Vols dominate South Carolina in series opener

Most recently in SEC play, Tennessee is coming off a series win at Vanderbilt in which it won games one and two before losing game three in a 3-0 shutout. The Vols were able to eek out a pair of impressive, close wins on Friday and Saturday to clinch the series, but the bats fell flat in the series finale as Tennessee got shutout for the first time this season.

Still, the impressive road series win and kept Tennessee at the top of all polls.

Before Thursday night’s opener, Tennessee achieved a 10-0 run-rule midweek win over Belmont. Read more about the Vols’ final midweek win of the season here.

TRANSCRIPT: Tony Vitello Recaps Series-Opening Win Over South Carolina

VIDEO: WATCH: Tony Vitello Discusses Series-Opening Win Over South Carolina

In addition to the Vanderbilt series win, Tennessee owns series sweeps over defending national champions LSU and Missouri in Knoxville, series wins over No. 9 Georgia and Ole Miss at home, and series wins over No. 2 Kentucky, Florida and Auburn on the road.

As for South Carolina, the Gamecocks have kept their head above water this season, owning some impressive wins while also not being among the top teams in the league. South Carolina’s most impressive series win came against Kentucky three weeks ago in Columbia, but the Gamecocks have also lost series to unranked Alabama and Ole Miss. South Carolina has swept one opponent (Vanderbilt) and has gotten swept once (Georgia – last week).

Injury Note

-Sophomore RHP AJ Russell is still not on the active roster as he deals with forearm soreness. There is a good chance he pitches in the postseason.

For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, including how Christian Moore broke the single-season program HR record, click here.

For the latest RTI Press Pass baseball podcast, click here.

More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball vs. South Carolina Game One LIVE Thread

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 nod after Backus did on Thursday. Chapman got a hit on Thursday night in his second AB after pinch-hitting earlier in the game for Backus, who went 0-2 with 2 Ks.
• 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 Thursday night.

SOUTH CAROLINA STARTING NINE:

CF Austin Brinling (L)

1B Ethan Petry (R)

RF Blake Jackson (L)

C Cole Messina (R)

2B Parker Noland (L)

LF Kennedy Jones (R)

DH Dalton Reeves (L)

SS Talmadge LeCroy (R)

3B Gavin Casas (L)

Lineup Notes:

• Same lineup and order for South Carolina from Thursday night’s series opener.

Pitching Matchup:

Vols Jr. RHP Drew Beam (7-2, 3.75 ERA, 13 app., 13 starts, 2 CG, 74.1 IP, 80 H, 39 R, 31 ER, 17 BB, 67 K, .275 opp. batting avg.)

vs.

Gamecocks Sr. LHP Garrett Gainey (0-2, 3.05 ERA, 20 app., 1 start, 38.1 IP, 33 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 6 BB, 56 K, .231 opp. batting avg.)

Pitching notes:

• Beam remains the game two starter. Only Tennessee pitcher to start in every single SEC series and every single weekend.
• Like Thursday, South Carolina is throwing one of their best arms who has been in a bullpen role this season. Gainey has better numbers than any other arm for the Gamecocks and got his first start of the season last week vs. UGA.
  • Gainey did well against the Dawgs before the bullpen let him down, giving up 2 ER in 5.1 IP. Gainey’s 5.1-inning outing was by far his longest of the season.

Uniforms

Tennessee: Icy Whites

South Carolina: Black tops, grey bottoms

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

• The run-rule is MANDATORY in SEC play.

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GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Austin Brinling grounds out to SS.

-Ethan Petry grounds out to 2B.

-Blake Jackson works a walk.

Beam picks off Jackson at first, 1-3.

END OF TOP HALF

B1

-Christian Moore drills a single through the left side.

-Blake Burke reaches on a fielder’s choice to SS as Moore is out at second SS unassisted. (Shortstop bc of the shift. Was hit into the 4-hole)

-Billy Amick lines out to 2B.

-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 0

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Cole Messina singles up the middle.

-Parker Noland flies out to LF.

Messina advances to second on a throwing error by Beam, failed pickoff attempt.

-Kennedy Jones is walked.

-Dalton Reeves reaches on a fielder’s choice to 2B, but Jones is safe at second.

• Moore failed to put his foot on the bag while trying to execute a double play.
• Messina advances to third.
• Bases loaded with one out for Talmadge LeCroy.

-Talmadge LeCroy legs out an RBI single to SS to score Messina.

• Curley made a nice play to prevent it from going to the outfield, but LeCroy beat the throw at first.

-Gavin Casas knocks an RBI single to CF to score Jones.

• Bases still loaded with one out.

-Austin Brinling smacks a sac fly to right center.

• Great sliding catch by Hunter Ensley to save two runs.
• Runners on the corners with two outs.

-Ethan Petry strikes out looking.

END OF TOP HALF

B2

-Hunter Ensley drives a single up the middle.

-Kavares Tears fouls out to LF.

-Dean Curley grounds into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 3

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Blake Jackson strikes out swinging.

-Cole Messina singles through the left side after a long at-bat.

-Parker Noland flies out to LF.

-Kennedy Jones reaches on a throwing error by Curley. Messina advances to second, advances to third on the error.

• Curley made a nice play on the ball but the throw was errant. Great catch by Burke to prevent Messina from scoring.

-Dalton Reeves flies out to CF.

END OF TOP HALF

B3

-Reese Chapman lines out to SS.

-Cal Stark flies out to CF.

-Christian Moore singles to right center.

-Blake Burke reaches on a fielder’s choice to 3B. Moore out at second, 3B unassisted.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 3

4th Inning: 

T4

-Talmadge LeCroy pops up to SS.

-Gavin Casas out at first, 1B to P.

-Austin Brinling grounds out to 3B.

• Nice six-pitch, 1-2-3 inning from Beam.

END OF TOP HALF

B4

-Billy Amick grounds out to P unassisted.

• Check-swing made contact right to the pitcher, tagged out while jogging to first.

-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.

-Hunter Ensley pops up to 1B.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 3

5th Inning: 

T5

-Ethan Petry strikes out swinging.

-Blake Jackson flies out to LF.

-Cole Messina singles off of Beam.

• Rocket right to Beam’s foot. He is OK, though. 3-3 day for Messina so far.

Stark catches Messina stealing at second, 2-6.

• Messina may have been tagged out when he overslid the bag. Either way, great defensive play to end the top half.

END OF TOP HALF

B5

-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.

-Dean Curley lines out to SS.

-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.

• Gainey is shoving and giving lefties all sorts of fits. He’s retired 8 straight Vols.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 3

6th Inning: 

T6

-Parker Noland lines out to LF.

-Kennedy Jones strikes out swinging.

-Dalton Reeves lines out to CF.

• Nice play by Hunter Ensley as the ball kept sailing on him a bit. Had to jump up and get it.

END OF TOP HALF

B6

-Cal Stark strikes out swinging after a long at-bat.

-Christian Moore smokes a solo homer off the scoreboard.

• No. 27 for Moore on the season. His historic season and unbelievable stretch in the back half of SEC play continues.
• No. 54 of Moore’s career.

-Blake Burke grounds out to 2B.

-Billy Amick singles to LF.

-Dylan Dreiling delivers a single to right center. Amick advances to second.

-Hunter Ensley hammers a three-run homer to the left-field porches after a battle with Gainey.

• Two of Tennessee’s most clutch players, Dreiling and Ensley, delivering in big-time moments there.
• 8th HR of the season for Ensley.

*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Jake McCoy (1-0, 5.79 ERA) on to pitch for Gainey*

-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 4, Gamecocks 3

7th Inning: 

T7

*Pitching change: So. LHP Andrew Behnke (2-1, 3.44 ERA) on to pitch for Drew Beam*

-Talmadge LeCroy strikes out looking.

-Gavin Casas grounds out to 2B.

-Austin Brinling grounds out to 2B.

• One of the better defensive plays of Tennessee’s season and Christian Moore’s career. Dives to stop a ball from going to the outfield, turns, fires to Burke. Throw is low but Burke makes a tremendous stretch & pick to complete the play.

END OF TOP HALF

B7

-Dean Curley strikes out swinging.

*Cannon Peebles pinch-hitting for Reese Chapman*

-Cannon Peebles is walked on four pitches.

-Cal Stark HBP. Peebles advances to second.

*Pitching change: RHP Parker Marlatt (2-0, 4.12 ERA) on to pitch for McCoy*

-Christian Moore works a walk to load the bases.

• Bases loaded for Blake Burke with one out.

-Blake Burke destroys a grand slam to right center.

• 112 mph. 448-feet. Monstrous shot from Burke. 16th HR of the season, 46th of his career.

-Billy Amick flies out to RF.

-Dylan Dreiling grounds out to 3B.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 8, Gamecocks 3

8th Inning: 

T8

*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Aaron Combs (1-1, 3.21 ERA) on to pitch for Behnke*

*Ariel Antigua to SS for Dean Curley*

-Ethan Petry strikes out swinging.

-Blake Jackson reaches on a fielding error by 2B.

• Moore couldn’t field the hard-hit ground ball. Would have been a tough play. But he bobbled it and the throw was high.

-Cole Messina flies out to CF.

-Parker Noland strikes out swinging.

END OF TOP HALF

B8

-Hunter Ensley works a walk.

-Kavares Tears ropes a double down the RF line. Ensley advances to third.

*Pitching change: RHP Michael Polk (0-0, 9.00 ERA) on to pitch for Marlatt*

-Ariel Antigua strikes out looking.

-Cannon Peebles HBP.

• Bases loaded with one out for Cal Stark.

-Cal Stark strikes out looking.

-Christian Moore grounds out to SS to strand ’em loaded.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 8, Gamecocks 3

9th Inning: 

T9

-Kennedy Jones grounds out to SS.

-Dalton Reeves strikes out looking.

-Talmadge LeCroy pops up to SS.

END OF TOP HALF

Score: Vols 8, Gamecocks 3

END OF GAME

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 8, South Carolina Gamecocks 3