Join hundreds of other Tennessee fans in our game thread where you can follow along for live play-by-play updates and commentary as Tennessee goes for the sweep of South Carolina in the series finale.
First pitch: 1 p.m. ET
Watch: SEC Network+
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Live Stats: Click here
Starting Lineup
Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s Sunday win over South Carolina to sweep the Gamecocks:
Rounding 1st — Drew Beam shines
Yet again Drew Beam shined. The freshman righty made his first SEC start on Sunday and had a perfect game intact going into the seventh inning.
Beam improved to 4-0 on the season behind 7.2 scoreless innings of work. He gave up just one hit and didn't allow a walk while striking out three. Beam has only allowed three runs in 24.2 innings of work to this point on the year.
Sunday's game was the fifth time Tennessee's pitching staff shutout an opponent. Entering the weekend, UT ranked second nationally in shutouts.
Rounding 2nd — Vols continue to rake
Tennessee continued to show off the power in the series finale. The Vols hit four home runs on Sunday to bring the weekend total to 10.
Evan Russell hit two home runs in the finale and three on the weekend, while Christian Moore and Trey Lipscomb also hit homers on Sunday. Tennessee outscored South Carolina 23-5 over the three games.
Tennessee has hit four home runs in eight games this season. Russell and Moore went back-to-back, which is the fourth time UT has done so this year.
Rounding 3rd — Get out the brooms
The Vols recorded yet another sweep this weekend. Four of Tennessee's five weekends so far in the 2022 season have resulted in Tony Vitello's club sweeping its opponent. UT is now just one sweep away from tying for the most sweeps during the Vitello era, which was five in 2021.
Headed for Home — Up Next
Life now gets tough for Tennessee. The Vols will travel to No. 1 Ole Miss next weekend for a three-game series in Oxford, before traveling to No. 4 Vanderbilt for a three-game series the following weekend.
Key Plays:
B-3rd: South Carolina 0, Tennessee 2 (+2)
In the midst of a pitcher's duel, Tennessee's Christian Moore and Evan Russell hit back-to-back home runs for UT's first two hits of the day to give itself an early 2-0 led. Moore's seventh home run, and Russell's fifth, respectively, was the fourth time this season Tennessee has hit back-to-back home runs.
B-6th: South Carolina 0, Tennessee 6 (+4)
South Carolina made a pitching change to start the bottom of the sixth.
Senior lefty John Gilreath (0-1, 0.84 ERA) took over on the mound for South Carolina for starter Matthew Becker, but the move didn't pay off for the Gamecocks, as the Vols scored four runs in the inning.
Jared Dickey led off the inning with a walk and then Seth Stephenson put the big inning into motion with his speed. After Stephenson stole second, Jordan Beck hit a ball back to the pitcher, Stephenson took off for third and South Carolina got him caught in a rundown, but Stephenson eventually took off for third and beat Carolina to the bag. Beck advanced to second as well.
A couple pitches later, Drew Gilbert hit a two-run double to left to extend Tennessee's lead to 4-0. Trey Lipscomb then hit a two-run home run to make it 6-0. Lipscomb's ninth home run was 108 mph off the bat and traveled 440 feet.
Becker's final line: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 HR, 2 H, BB, 7 K, 96 pitches (65 strikes)
T-7th: South Carolina 0, Tennessee 6 (+4)
Drew Beam's perfect game bid came to an end on the first pitch of the seventh inning when South Carolina first baseman Brandt Belk hit a double to the warning track. The ball popped out of Drew Gilbert's glove, but it was a tough play to make and Gilbert made a terrific effort to try and preserve the perfect game.
Beam bounced back from the leadoff double with a fly ball to right, a ground ball to second and a fly ball to center to keep South Carolina off the board yet again.
B-7th: South Carolina 0, Tennessee 8 (+2)
Tennessee added two more runs in the seventh on a two-run double from Jordan Beck. Cortland Lawson worked a leadoff walk before Seth Stephenson hit a double to the warning track to set up Beck.
B-8th: South Carolina 0, Tennessee 10 (+2)
After Blake Burke worked a leadoff walk, Evan Russell hit a two-run home run to left field to make it 10-0. It was his third homer of the weekend and second of the day.
Final Box Score
Postgame Interviews
This Week's Schedule
Tuesday, March 15
Midweek game – Eastern Kentucky (1) vs. No. 7 Tennessee (7)
Friday, March 18
Game 1 – South Carolina (3) vs. No. 7 Tennessee (8)
Saturday, March 19
Game 2 – South Carolina (2) vs. No. 7 Tennessee (5)
Sunday, March 20
Game 3 – South Carolina (0) vs. No. 7 Tennessee (10)
