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 (39-3, 18-1 SEC) looks to take the series from No. 19 Auburn (30-13, 11-8 SEC) in this weekend's series opener.
Tennessee won the series opener on Friday night 17-4 thanks to 15 combined runs in the seventh and eighth inning.
First pitch: 7 p.m. ET
Watch: SEC Network
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Live Stats: Click here
Starting Lineup
Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s 8-6 loss on Saturday night as Auburn evened up the series:
Rounding 1st — Auburn wins it late
Tennessee was on the verge of winning the series. That is until Bobby Peirce hit a three-run home run with two outs in the top of the ninth.
Auburn trailed 5-4 entering the top of the ninth and tied it with two outs on a double from Kason Howell. After electing to walk Tigers star first baseman Sonny DiChiara to put runners on first and second, Peirce gave the Tigers an 8-5 lead.
Peirce was 0-for-8 in the series with five strikeouts prior to Peirce’s homer that proved to be the game-winner.
Rounding 2nd — Vols had a chance
Tennessee had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the ninth. After Cortland Lawson hit a lead off home run to make it a two-run game, Jorel Ortega hit a one-out single to reach base.
It brought Jordan Beck to the plate with one out, but Beck popped out to center for the second out. Drew Gilbert then flew out to left to end the game.
For the game, Tennessee scored six runs on 10 hits. It hit .278 (10-for-36) for the game, but was .200 (2-for-10) with runners in scoring position.
Rounding 3rd — Sewell calms the storm
Camden Sewell calmed the storm when having to enter in the third inning. Sewell got the final out of the third and proceeded to put together 4.1 innings of work. On 51 pitches, the right-hander allowed three runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out two.
Headed for Home — Blade exits early
Sewell had to enter early because Blade Tidwell struggled in his first SEC start at home. Tidwell allowed just one run, but walked four over 2.2 innings. He threw 55 pitches and struck out three. Only 30 of his pitches were strikes.
Key Plays
Tennessee's starting pitcher: Sophomore RHP Blade Tidwell (1-0, 1.59 ERA) starts for the Vols. Tidwell is making his third start of the season and his first SEC start at home.
Tidwell's season stats: 11.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 20 K, .205 opponent BA
Auburn's starting pitcher: Junior RHP Trace Bright (2-4, 4.24 ERA) starts for the Tigers. Bright is making his 11th start of the season.
Bright's season stats: 51.0 IP, 46 H, 28 R, 24 ER, 23 BB, 55 K, .241 opponent BA
B-1st: Auburn 0, Tennessee 1 (+1)
Tennessee struck first when Drew Gilbert smoked an RBI single up the middle to score Jordan Beck from second. Beck had just doubled to left.
T-2nd: Auburn 0, Tennessee 1
Blade Tidwell worked out of trouble after he put runners on first and second with one out due to a walk and infield single. Tidwell got a line drive to left field for the second out, but walked the next batter to load the bases.
With two outs and the bases juiced, Tidwell got Auburn second baseman Cole Foster to pop up to second and the inning.
T-3rd: Auburn 1 (+1), Tennessee 1
Blade Tidwell ran into trouble in the third and allowed Auburn to score its first run of the game. After a pair of walks, Tidwell threw a wild pitch that allowed the Tigers to push a run across and make it a one-run game.
B-3rd: Auburn 1, Tennessee 2 (+1)
Cortland Lawson singled to lead off the bottom of the third. After Auburn starter Trace Bright couldn't field Seth Stephenson's bunt, Jordan Beck hit an RBI groundout to score Lawson and push the lead back to two.
B-4th: Auburn 1, Tennessee 2
Evan Russell singled up the middle with two outs in the fourth, but Blake Burke grounded out to short to strand him.
T-5th: Auburn 4 (+3), Tennessee 2
Tigers third baseman Blake Rambusch led off the fifth with a walk and was able to advance to third when Luc Lipcius was unable to catch a Camden Sewell pick off move. Rambusch then scored on an RBI single from Kason Howell to tie the game.
Auburn star first baseman Sonny DiChiara then stepped to the plate and crushed a two-run home run to give the Tigers a 4-2 lead.
B-6th: Auburn 4, Tennessee 4 (+2)
The Vols scored twice in the sixth inning to tie the game at four. After Jordan Beck walked, Trey Lipscomb singled and Evan Russell walked to load the bases, Beck and Lipscomb were able to score on wild pitches.
T-7th: Auburn 4, Tennessee 4
Tennessee elected to intentionally walk Sonny DiChiara and the move paid off when Camden Sewell then got Bobby Pierce to fly out to left to end the inning.
B-7th: Auburn 4, Tennessee 5 (+1)
Cortland Lawson walked and Seth Stephenson singled to lead off the seventh and put the Vols in position to take the lead. After Jorel Ortega popped up to right for the first out, Jordan Beck grounded out to short on a fielder's choice for the second out. It did allow Lawson to move to third.
With two outs, Drew Gilbert hit an RBI single to right field to give the Vols a 5-4 lead.
T-9th: Auburn 8 (+4), Tennessee 5
Auburn catcher Nate LaRue led off the ninth with a single to put the tying run on base. Redmond Walsh was then able to get two outs, but Kason Howell doubled to score LaRue and tie the game.
After intentionally walking star first baseman Sonny DiChiara, right fielder Bobby Peirce hit a three-run home run to give Auburn an 8-5 lead. Peirce had been 0-for-8 with five strikeouts in the series prior to his homer.
B-9th: Auburn 8, Tennessee 6 (+1)
Vols threatened to come back in the bottom of the ninth. After Cortland Lawson hit a lead off home run to make it a two-run game, Jorel Ortega hit a one-out single to reach base.
It brought Jordan Beck to the plate with one out, but Beck popped out to center for the second out. Drew Gilbert then flew out to left to end the game.
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 vs. No. 1 Tennessee -- 1 p.m. ET
