KNOXVILLE — Join hundreds of other Tennessee fans in our game thread where you can follow along for live play-by-play updates and commentary as No. 1 Tennessee (39-4, 18-2 SEC) squares off with No. 19 Auburn (31-13, 11-8 SEC) in a rubber match in the series finale.
Tennessee won the series opener on Friday night 17-4 thanks to 15 combined runs in the seventh and eighth inning. Auburn then responded on Saturday night with four runs in the top of the ninth inning to win 8-6 and even the series at a game apiece.
First pitch: 1 p.m. ET
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: Click here
Live Stats: Click here
Starting Lineup
Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s 5-3 win on Sunday afternoon to win the series against No. 19 Auburn:
Rounding 1st — Ben Joyce steps up
Sunday afternoon presented Ben Joyce with the opportunity to pitch in his first real high-leverage situation of the season. Joyce took the opportunity and ran with it.
The hard-throwing righty relieved Drew Beam with no outs in the sixth inning and inherited runners on first and second in a tie ball game. Joyce’s second pitch of the day resulted in a double play and his fourth resulted in a ground ball to short stop to get out of the inning and preserve the lead.
Joyce proceeded to pitch four scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season. On 53 pitches, he allowed one hit, didn’t give up a walk and struck out six as he threw 37 strikes.
The Knoxville native dazzled his fastball once again. Joyce threw at least 28 pitches 103 mph, 15 pitches at least 104 mph and three pitches at least 105 mph. Of 33 fastballs he threw, 28 of them were at least 103 mph.
Rounding 2nd — Beck plays hero
Tennessee took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Drew Gilbert hit a sac fly and Trey Lipscomb hit a two-run home run. But the Vols wouldn’t score again until the eighth inning when Jordan Beck stepped to the plate.
After Luc Lipcius hit a one-out single, Beck battled back from an 0-2 count to hit a two-run home run that proved to be the difference in the game.
The Hazel Green, Alabama native finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs against one of his two prominent home-state schools.
Rounding 3rd — Beam battles
Drew Beam started for the Vols and looked terrific to start the game. Beam put together three consecutive 1-2-3 innings to start the game and didn’t allow an Auburn baserunner until a one-out single in the fourth inning.
The true freshman went on to allowed three earned runs on six hits over 5.0 innings of work. Beam walked two and struck out four on 78 pitches.
Headed for Home — 40 wins
Sunday’s win was win No. 40 on the season for Tennessee.
The Vols have reached the 40-win mark in just 44 games, tying the 2000 South Carolina team for the fewest games played to hit the 40-win mark by an SEC team since the league expanded in 1992.
Tennessee’s series win marked the 12th consecutive series it has won, dating back to last season. It’s their first series win over Auburn since 2011.
Key Plays
Tennessee's starting pitcher: Freshman RHP Drew Beam (8-0, 1.86 ERA) starts for the Vols. Beam is making his 11th start of the season.
Beam's season stats: 58.0 IP, 27 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 9 BB, 47 K, .138 opponent BA
Auburn's starting pitcher: Sophomore RHP Jospeh Gonzalez (6-0, 1.71 ERA) starts for the Tigers. Gonzalez is making his ninth start of the season.
Gonzalez season stats: 47.1 IP, 46 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 7 BB, 34 K, .258 opponent BA
B-1st: Auburn 0, Tennessee 3 (+3)
Luc Lipcius doubled and Jordan Beck singled in the first inning to put runners on the corners with one out for Drew Gilbert, who hit a sacrifice fly to give the Vols an early 1-0 lead.
Trey Lipscomb then stepped to the plate and hit a two-run home run to make it a 3-0 game. It was Lipscomb's 18th homer of the season.
B-2nd: Auburn 0, Tennessee 3
Cortland Lawson singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch with two outs before Christian Moore popped up in foul territory to end the inning.
T-4th: Auburn 0, Tennessee 3
Kason Howell singled up the middle for Auburn's first hit of the game with one out in the fourth. Drew Beam then got Sonny DiChiara to bounce into a 5-4-3 double play to get out of the inning.
B-4th: Auburn 0, Tennessee 3
Jorel Ortega reached on an error by the Auburn shortstop before Christian Scott walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Cortland Lawson couldn't take advantage as he lined out to right to end the inning and strand the runners.
T-5th: Auburn 2 (+2), Tennessee 3
Auburn right fielder Bobby Peirce led off the fifth with a solo home run to get the Tigers on the board and make it a 3-1 ball game.
Drew Beam then gave up three consecutive one-out singles to load the bases. Beam was able to minimize the damage in the frame, allowing just one run to score on a sac fly to center. He then got a fly ball to get out of the inning.
T-6th: Auburn 3 (+1), Tennessee 3
Drew Beam gave up back-to-back lead off walks to start the sixth. It led to him allowing an RBI single to Bobby Peirce to tie the game at three.
Ben Joyce came in out of the bullpen and inherited runners on first and second with no outs. Joyce got out of the inning on four pitches courtesy of a double play and a ground ball to short.
T-7th: Auburn 3, Tennessee 3
Ben Joyce allowed a two-out single, but bounced back with a strikeout to get out of the inning.
B-8th: Auburn 3, Tennessee 5 (+2)
Luc Lipcius singled with one out to set up Jordan Beck to hit a two-run home run that gave the Vols a 5-3 lead. It proved to be the game-winner.
Final Box Score
Postgame Media
Where Tennessee is ranked this week:
Perfect Game: No. 1 (-)
Collegiate Baseball: No. 1 (-)
NCBWA: No. 1 (-)
USA Today Coaches Poll: No. 1 (-)
D1Baseball: No. 1 (-)
Baseball America: No. 1 (-)
This Week's Schedule
Tuesday, April 26
Midweek Game – Xavier (1) vs. No. 1 Tennessee (10)
Friday, April 29
Game 1 – No. 19 Auburn (4) vs. No. 1 Tennessee (17)
Saturday, April 30
Game 2 – No. 19 Auburn (8) vs. No. 1 Tennessee (6)
Sunday, May 1
Game 3 – No. 19 Auburn (3) vs. No. 1 Tennessee (5)
