SCORE: Vols 4, Gamecocks 1 | FINAL (Vols sweep series 3-0)
***SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED***
Top-ranked Tennessee baseball (45-10, 21-8 SEC) is set to host No. 24 South Carolina (33-20, 13-16 SEC) Saturday in Knoxville in game three of a three-game series and in the regular season finale.
First pitch in Lindsey Nelson Stadium is at 1:00 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.
A win on Saturday would give Tennessee the sweep over the Gamecocks, but the Vols need their in-state rival Vanderbilt to beat Kentucky on Saturday in order to become the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament and have a share of the regular season SEC title.
Read more about what Tennessee needs both in Knoxville and in Lexington on Saturday here.
Tennessee enters Saturday’s contest after a 9-3 series-opening win and 8-3 win in game two. The Vols dominated the Gamecocks in game one before coming from behind in game two thanks to a three-run home run from Hunter Ensley and a grand slam from Blake Burke.
RECAP: Vols dominate South Carolina in series opener
RECAP: Vols use the long ball to come back and clinch series against South Carolina
Before this weekend in SEC play, Tennessee won a series 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.
TRANSCRIPT: Tony Vitello Recaps Series-Clinching Win Over South Carolina
VIDEO: WATCH: Tony Vitello Discusses Series-Clinching Win Over South Carolina
In addition to the South Carolina and Vanderbilt series wins, 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 Two LIVE Thread
RECORD: Tennessee Baseball Breaks Impressive Record in Series-Clinching Win Over South Carolina
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 Dalton Bargo (L)
C Cal Stark (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Bargo gets the DH nod after Colby Backus did on Thursday and Reese Chapman did on Friday. Bargo has not yet received an AB this series.
- 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 and Friday 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 and Friday night.
Pitching Matchup:
Vols Sr. LHP Zander Sechrist (1-1, 4.57 ERA, 14 app., 13 starts, 43.1 IP, 47 H, 22 R, 22 ER, 10 BB, 48 K, 12 XBH, .278 opp. batting avg., 1.32 WHIP)
vs.
Gamecocks RHP Dylan Eskew (3-4, 4.85 ERA, 15 app., 11 starts, 52.0 IP, 47 H, 36 R, 28 ER, 21 BB, 37 K, 11 XBH, .233 opp. batting avg.)
Pitching notes:
- Sechrist continues to start series finales.
- Eskew has been a weekend starter for South Carolina this season and has been fairly solid. Similar pitching matchup today as Eskew only has two SEC starts in which he threw over 4.1 innings. Sechrist also just has two.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Creams
South Carolina: Grey tops, grey bottoms with maroon helmets/hats/accents
*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.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Austin Brinling grounds out to SS.
-Ethan Petry flies out to RF.
-Blake Jackson strikes out looking.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore grounds out to 3B.
-Blake Burke flies out to CF.
-Billy Amick flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Cole Messina singles to LF.
-Parker Noland grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.
-Kennedy Jones strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Dylan Dreiling grounds out to SS in the four-hole. Shift.
-Hunter Ensley flies out to the warning track in right center.
-Kavares Tears slaps a single to RF.
-Dean Curley works a walk.
-Dalton Bargo flies out to LF.
- LF Kennedy Jones and CF Austin Brinling collided in left center when Jones made the catch. Brinling walked off very slow and gingerly with assistance from a trainer.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 0
3rd Inning:
T3
-Dalton Reeves grounds out to 3B.
-Talmadge LeCroy singles off of Sechrist’s foot to 2B.
- Moore’s throw to Burke after the ricochet was close, but LeCroy legged it out.
- Sechrist seems perfectly fine.
-Gavin Casas grounds into a 6-3 double play.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
*Pitching change: Jr. LHP Matthew Becker (5-2, 6.82 ERA) on to pitch for Eskew*
-Cal Stark singles to CF.
-Christian Moore grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.
- Stark was out easily then got in the way of the shortstop’s throw to first to get Moore out. While Moore was not thrown out, Stark’s interference results in the double play.
- Tennessee challenged the ruling, and it was confirmed.
-Blake Burke grounds out to 2B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Gamecocks 0
4th Inning:
T4
-Austin Brinling flies out to LF.
-Ethan Petry strikes out swinging.
-Blake Jackson grounds out to 2B.
- Sechrist has faced the minimum thanks to two double plays and two 1-2-3 innings.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Billy Amick strikes out swinging.
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.
-Hunter Ensley works a walk.
-Kavares Tears rips an RBI double to the right-center gap.
- Great jump by Ensley as he scores all the way from first.
-Dean Curley grounds out to 3B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 1, Gamecocks 0
5th Inning:
T5
-Cole Messina pops up to 3B.
-Parker Noland singles to LF.
-Kennedy Jones grounds out to 2B. Noland advances to second.
-Dalton Reeves strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Dalton Bargo singles to LF.
- Snaps an 0-20 slump at the plate in SEC play.
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Eli Jones (3-4, 5.37 ERA) on to pitch for Becker*
-Cal Stark bunts Bargo over to second, out at first 5-3 on the sac bunt.
-Christian Moore drives a single to RF. Bargo advances to third.
-Blake Burke chops an RBI single to RF. Got past the shortstop Talmadge LeCroy in the 4-hole who couldn’t pick it. Bargo scores, Moore advances to third, Burke tried to reach second but was thrown out, 9-4.
Tennessee challenges the ruling that Burke is out at second. Call CONFIRMED.
-Billy Amick sends an RBI single to 3B to score Moore.
- Chopper to 3B. Casas didn’t make a great throw, and Petry couldn’t make the pick. Amick may have beat it anyway, but not a great defensive play from SC.
Amick steals second.
-Dylan Dreiling smacks an RBI single to CF to score Amick.
-Hunter Ensley lines out to the warning track in RF.
- Couple of really hard-hit balls hit to the warning track for Ensley today.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Gamecocks 0
6th Inning:
T6
-Talmadge LeCroy flies out to RF.
-Gavin Casas singles through the right side.
*Will Tippett pinch-running for Gavin Casas*
-Austin Brinling grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.
- Third double play for Tennessee’s defense today. Sechrist has faced just one batter over the minimum.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
*Tippett to SS*
*LeCroy to 3B*
-Kavares Tears lines out to 2B.
-Dean Curley grounds out to P.
-Dalton Bargo singles to RF.
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Gamecocks 0
7th Inning:
T7
*Pitching change: So. RHP Nate Snead (8-1, 2.57 ERA) on to pitch for Sechrist*
-Ethan Petry lines out to RF.
- Nice play by Tears to make the catch on the run.
-Blake Jackson strikes out looking.
-Cole Messina grounds out to 3B.
- Nice pick by Burke as the throw was a little off.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Chris Veach (3-1, 4.06 ERA) on to pitch for Eli Jones*
-Christian Moore grounds out to SS.
-Blake Burke grounds out to SS.
-Billy Amick strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Gamecocks 0
8th Inning:
T8
-Parker Noland HBP.
-Kennedy Jones strikes out swinging.
-Dalton Reeves singles to RF. Noland advances to second.
- Heck of a throw by Tears to keep Noland at second.
-Talmadge LeCroy sends an RBI single up the middle to score Noland. Reeves advances to second.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Aaron Combs (1-1, 3.00 ERA) on to pitch for Snead*
-Will Tippett strikes out looking.
-Austin Brinling flies out to LF.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging, out at first C to 1B.
-Hunter Ensley works a walk.
Ensley caught stealing second, 2-6.
-Kavares Tears strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 4, Gamecocks 1
9th Inning:
T9
*Ariel Antigua to SS for Dean Curley*
-Ethan Petry lines out to 3B.
-Blake Jackson strikes out swinging.
-Cole Messina out at first 1B to P.
END OF TOP HALF
Score: Vols 4, Gamecocks 1
END OF GAME
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 4, South Carolina Gamecocks 1 (Vols sweep series 3-0)
