GAINESVILLE — Tennessee was without the SEC's leader in strikeouts Saturday night in The Swamp.

You wouldn't have known watching Blade Tidwell pitch as the Vols beat Florida 3-0 in game two to secure a series win.

The Vols' sophomore right-hander made his first SEC start of the season and pitched 4.1 scoreless innings to earn his first win of the year. Tidwell was starting in place of fellow sophomore right-hander Chase Dollander.

"We felt good about his stuff, was up to 99," assistant coach Josh Elander told Volquest following the game. "Really good all three pitches for strikes. Really put us in a good position. That was without a doubt huge to see him back out there tonight.”

Tidwell returned this season following an outstanding freshman season on Rocky Top. He missed the first month and a half, however, as a result of shoulder soreness stemming from shoulder tightness.

In the meantime, freshman Chase Burns, Dollander and freshman Drew Beam made up the starting rotation and turned heads doing so. All three vaulted to the front of the line for SEC Pitcher of the Year while Tidwell worked his way back from injury.

Tidwell returned March 30 against Western Carolina and has slowly worked his way back up over seven appearances. Although he's still not quite all the way back in terms of workload, he's reached a point to where he can throw more than the one to two innings like he had been doing.

Coincidentally, as Tidwell was ready to be unleashed, a spot in the rotation opened up when Dollander took a line drive off of his pitching elbow last Saturday against Alabama.

Dollander, who led the SEC in strikeouts entering his start against the Crimson Tide, avoided major injury, but was forced to miss this weekend's start against the Gators.

Tidwell took the opportunity and ran with it.

Having not thrown more than two innings in any outing this season, Tidwell proceeded to throw 74 pitches over 4.1 scoreless innings against the Gators. He struck out five, allowed just two hits and walked just one batter.

"Just being Blade Tidwell," Elander said. "Attacking the zone with the heater. He’s a guy that’s never been scared, even from the first day he was here. He’s seasoned. He’s been through this league, pitched on the road, pitched in Omaha, so it was just nice to have that pitch count stretched out a little bit."

“He looked outstanding," Vols' reliever Camden Sewell added. "Was tremendous to have him back. I thought he looked really, really well. I’m excited to see what else he can bring to us going forward.”

Tony Vitello will be faced with a tough decision coming off his four-game suspension. Dollander missed his start against the Gators, but isn't expect to be out much longer, if at all.

Vitello has four arms in Tidwell, Dollander, Burns and Beam that would start on Friday for just about every school in the country. The problem is there's only three spots to fill.

It's a great problem to have though and one Vitello will be happy to deal with.