No. 1 Tennessee clinches series win over No. 9 Vanderbilt

NASHVILLE — Join hundreds of other Tennessee fans in our game thread where you can follow along for live play-by-play updates and commentary as the top-ranked Vols go for their first series win over Vanderbilt since 2016, and their first series win over the Commodores in Nashville since 2009.

First pitch: 8 p.m. ET

Watch: SEC Network

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Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s series-clinching win over No. 9 Vanderbilt on Saturday night:

Rounding 1st — Dollander shines

Chase Dollander (W, 5-0) turned in a spectacular outing for the second weekend in a row.

The Tennessee sophomore made the start on Saturday night at Hawkins Field and shut down the Commodores. Dollander allowed two runs over eight innings and struck out six. He allowed just one walk as Vandy managed to tally three hits.

Two of Vanderbilt’s three hits were solo home runs in the seventh inning. Dollander then came back out in the eighth and pitched a scoreless 1-2-3 inning.

Rounding 2nd — Redmond Walsh closes it out

Tony Vitello trotted Dollander back out for the ninth, but had to turn to Redmond Walsh out of the bullpen after Dollander walked Carter Young to lead off the inning.

Walsh entered and immediately got Vandy centerfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. to bounce into a double play for the first two outs. He then got Davis Diaz to ground out to short to end the game.

It was Walsh's fourth save of the season and the 20th of his career. He became the second Vol ever to record 20 saves and now only trails the program's all-time leader, Todd Helton, who finished with 23.

Rounding 3rd — Mike Honcho

Mike Honcho — aka Vols right fielder Jordan Beck — can’t be slowed down. Beck had a home run overturned on Friday night due to an illegal bat and has only crushed at the plate since.

After a two-run double in the fifth inning of game one’s drama, Beck immediately put the Vols on the board in the top of the first in game two on an RBI double to left-center that scored Jorel Ortega from first. Beck also singled to lead off the third inning.

Through two games in Nashville, Beck is 3-for-9 on the weekend with three RBIs, two runs scored, two doubles and a walk.

Headed for Home — Vols make history

Tennessee is now 8-0 in SEC play for the first time since 1966. The game two win to secure the series also gave the Vols their first series win over the Commodores since 2016.

It's the first time Tennessee has won the series in Nashville since 2009.

Key Plays

T-1st: Tennessee 3 (+3), Vanderbilt 0

The Vols jumped on the Commodores early with three runs in the top of the first.

Jorel Ortega worked a one-out walk to set up a Jordan Beck RBI double to give the Vols an early 1-0 lead. Then, after Drew Gilbert reached on catcher's interference to put runners on first and second, Trey Lipscomb hit a ground-rule double that scored Beck from second to make it 2-0.

Tennessee extended the lead to 3-0 when Drew Gilbert swiped home on a play that saw Seth Stephenson strike out on a pitch in the dirt, but allowed him to reach. When Vandy catcher Jack Bulger located the baseball, he tried to throw Lipscomb out at second, but the throw wasn't in time and it allowed Gilbert to score.

T-3rd: Tennessee 3, Vanderbilt 0

The Vols had runners on second and third with two outs after Jordan Beck and Trey Lipscomb singled in the frame. Seth Stephenson then struck out to strand Beck and Lipscomb, however.

B-5th: Tennessee 5 (+2), Vanderbilt 0

Jorel Ortega reached first to lead off the inning with Vanderbilt third baseman Davis Diaz booted a ball at third. Three batters later, Trey Lipscomb hit a two-out, two-run home run to left field to extend Tennessee's lead to 5-0.

T-5th: Tennessee 5, Vanderbilt 0

Tennessee starter Chase Dollander allowed his first baserunner of the game to begin the fifth inning when Vandy's Dominic Keegan singled up the middle. But on the next pitch, Evan Russell threw him out at second. Dollander proceed to piece together a clean inning.

T-6th: Tennessee 5, Vanderbilt 0

Luc Lipcius and Cortland Lawson each walked in the sixth, but after Lipcius was tagged out walking to second when he misunderstood the count, and after Blake Burke struck out, the Vols were unable to take advantage of the walks.

T-7th: Tennessee 5, Vanderbilt 0

After Drew Gilbert singled with two outs and stole second, Trey Lipscomb struck out to end the inning and strand Gilbert.

B-7th: Tennessee 5, Vanderbilt 2 (+2)

Vanderbilt centerfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. led off the inning with a solo home run to right field to get the Commodores on the board and cut it to a one-run game.

Bradfield's homer was the first of two for Vandy in the seventh. Right fielder Spencer Jones also hit a solo home run in the frame.

B-9th: Tennessee 5, Vanderbilt 2

After Chase Dollander walked Carter Young to begin the ninth inning, Tony Vitello turned to Redmond Walsh out of the bullpen. Walsh immediately got Enrique Bradfield Jr. to roll into a 4-6-3 double play before getting a ground ball to shortstop to get the Vols out of the inning and win the game.

Final Box Score