Tennessee Baseball vs. Alabama Score, Updates Series Finale | Rocky Top Insider

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Fifth-ranked Tennessee baseball (18-2, 1-1 SEC) is set to battle fourteenth-ranked Alabama (16-3, 1-1 SEC) in Tuscaloosa at Sewell-Thomas Stadium Sunday in game three of a three-game series. Sunday’s contest will serve as a series rubber match as Tennessee won the series opener before losing game two to the Tide on Saturday night.

First pitch is at 2 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. It will be the second televised game of Tennessee’s season, as Saturday night’s game against the Tide served as the first. You can also listen to the game here.

The Vols enter the matchup coming off of their first loss since game two of the season, as the Tide won Saturday’s contest 6-3. Drew Beam bounced back after a rocky start to turn in a strong eight-inning performance, but the Vols’ offense couldn’t do enough to overcome the early deficit. Read all about Tennessee’s loss on Saturday night here.

For the at-bat by at-bat thread of Saturday night’s loss, click here.

Sunday will be the first series rubber match of Tennessee’s season, as the Vols swept UAlbany, Bowling Green and Illinois in their three previous series. The Vols did win a makeshift ‘rubber match’ on day three of opening weekend in Arlington by beating Baylor to go 2-1 in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown.

A series win would mark the fourth consecutive and most impressive of the season for Tennessee, as Alabama is the toughest opponent the Vols have faced.

Alabama’s Saturday win snapped a two-game losing streak, and they’ll be looking to carry their momentum into Sunday to get a series win of their own.

More From RTI: Final SEC Bracketology Projections Before the Selection Show

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)

DH Robin Villeneuve (R)

CF Hunter Ensley (R)

SS Dean Curley (R)

C Cal Stark (R)

Lineup Notes:

• Ensley gets his second start in center of the weekend, Tears moves back to right field.
• Stark gets his first catcher start of the weekend, slides into the nine-hole.
• Villeneuve stays at DH for the third straight game.
• Bargo not in the lineup after he came up lame running to first base on Saturday night on a fly ball. Looked like a hamstring.

ALABAMA STARTING NINE: 

3B Gage Miller

CF TJ McCants

LF Ian Petrutz

RF Evan Sleight

DH William Hamiter

C Mac Guscette

1B Will Hodo

SS Justin Lebron

2B Bryce Eblin

Pitching Matchup:

Vols So. RHP AJ Russell (0-0, 2.45 ERA, 2 app., 2 starts, 7.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 K, .231 opp. batting avg., 1.09 WHIP)

vs.

Crimson Tide Jr. RHP Hagan Banks (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 app, 1 start, 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, .091 opp. batting avg., 0.82 WHIP)

Pitching notes:

• Russell makes his return to the starting rotation since the UAlbany series, as he’s been dealing with soreness.
• This is Russell’s first SEC start of his career and first time ever starting on a Sunday.
• This is Banks’ second start but as the stats show, he hasn’t seen much action this year. Alabama doesn’t have a reliable Sunday guy, so they’re still experimenting to see if they can find one.

Uniforms

Tennessee: Smokey greys

Vols are undefeated in Smokey greys this season.

GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Christian Moore flies out to RF.

-Blake Burke lines out to LF.

-Billy Amick slaps a single to center field.

-Kavares Tears flies out to CF. To the warning track.

END OF TOP HALF

B1

-Gage Miller singles through the right side.

Miller advances to second on a balk.

-TJ McCants strikes out swinging.

-Ian Petrutz drives an RBI single to left center to score Miller.

-Evan Sleight lines out to LF.

-William Hamiter pops up to 2B.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Crimson Tide 1

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.

-Robin Villeneuve strikes out swinging.

-Hunter Ensley singles to LF. Impressive as the pitch was up high in the zone and Ensley got it.

-Dean Curley fouls out to 1B.

END OF TOP HALF

B2

-Mac Guscette flies out to CF.

-Will Hodo grounds out to 3B.

-Justin Lebron strikes out swinging. Pitch hit him, but Lebron swung for strike three. Nice 1-2-3 inning from Russell.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Crimson Tide 1

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Cal Stark works a walk after a great at-bat.

-Christian Moore singles to RF over the second baseman’s head. Stark advances to second.

Alabama calls a mound meeting.

*Pitching change: LHP Kade Snell (0-0, 11.57 ERA) on to pitch for Banks*

-Blake Burke is walked on four pitches to load the bases with no outs.

-Billy Amick out on an infield fly to 1B.

-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.

-Dylan Dreiling rips a bases-clearing double to left center. Dreiling advanced to third on the throw home.

-Robin Villeneuve ropes an RBI double down the LF line.

-Hunter Ensley grounds out to SS.

END OF TOP HALF

B3

*Pitching change: G-Sr. LHP Chris Stamos (3-0, 2.35 ERA) on to pitch for Russell*

-Bryce Eblin flies out to RF. To the warning track.

-Gage Miller works a walk.

Tennessee challenges call at first that Miller is safe on a pickoff attempt. Call STANDS as Burke didn’t get the tag down in time.

-TJ McCants singles through the right side. Miller advances to second.

*Pitching change: So. RHP Nate Snead (4-0, 1.80 ERA) on to pitch for Stamos*

-Ian Petrutz knocks an RBI single through the right side to score Miller. McCants advances to third.

-Evan Sleight sends a sac fly to CF to score McCants.

Petrutz advances to second on a passed ball.

-William Hamiter is hit by a pitch.

-Mac Guscette reaches on a fielder’s choice as Hamiter is out at 2B, unassisted.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 4, Crimson Tide 3

4th Inning: 

T4

B4

Score: Vols 4, Crimson Tide 3

5th Inning: 

T5

B5

Score: Vols , Crimson Tide

6th Inning: 

T6

B6

Score: Vols , Crimson Tide

7th Inning: 

T7

B7

Score: Vols , Crimson Tide

8th Inning: 

T8

B8

Score: Vols , Crimson Tide

9th Inning: 

T9

B9

FINAL: Tennessee Vols __, Alabama Crimson Tide __