Tennessee falls to Vanderbilt in SEC Tournament, faces elimination

HOOVER, Ala. — Tennessee's SEC Tournament stay is on the brink of ending.

In their fourth meeting with Vanderbilt in two weeks, the 1-seed Vols' bullpen gave up four home runs and 15 hits while their own lineup was unable to find a rhythm in a 13-4 loss to the 8-seed Commodores at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama on Wednesday.

Tennessee faces elimination on Thursday.

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The Vols (46-11) used eight different pitchers but were unable to silence Alan Espinal, who homered twice and totaled five RBIs.

At the plate, Reese Chapman gave Tennessee some life with a three-run home run to cut the Commodores' (37-20) lead to two runs in the fourth inning, but combined for just three hits over the last five innings.

Tennessee

1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B

2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B

3. Billy Amick (R) - 3B

4. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF

5. Hunter Ensley (R) - CF

6. Kavares Tears (L) - RF

7. Dean Curley (R) - SS

8. Reese Chapman (R) - DH

9. Cal Stark (R) - C

RHP Nate Snead

Vanderbilt

1. Jonathan Vastine (L) - SS

2. Davis Diaz (R) - 3B

3. R.J. Austin (R) - 2B

4. Alan Espinal (R) - C

5. Colin Barczi (R) - DH

6. Matthew Polk (R) - RF

7. Braden Holcomb (R) - 1B

8. Troy LaNeve (L) - LF

9. Clavin Hewett (R) - CF

LHP Devin Futrell

Dylan Dreiling led off with a walk in the bottom half of the second, then made the trek from first base to home on an RBI double to the gap in right-center field from Hunter Ensley to five Tennessee a 1-0 lead.

Vanderbilt threatened in the third with a walk and a Calvin Hewitt double that moved both runners into scoring position. It set up for the Commodores to score the tying run on a wild pitch on the following at-bat.

Davis Diaz put Vanderbilt in front, 2-1 with a two-out RBI single and Alan Espinal extended the inning with a three-run home run to right-center to swell the Commodores lead to 5-1 and force Tennessee to go to the bullpen for reliever Andrew Behnke.

Behnke managed to get the Vols out of the frame but not before facing a four-run deficit heading into the bottom third.

Looking to respond, Blake Burke doubled down the line in right with two outs but a fly out to center ended the inning.

Vanderbilt added to its lead in the fourth on a Hewett RBI single to go up 6-1, again scoring with two outs on the board.

Kavares Tears singled to right with two outs in the bottom fourth and Dean Curley drew walk to set up Reese Champman's three-run homer into the Vols' bullpen to pull Tennessee within two runs at 6-4.

Vanderbilt scored again in the fifth to lead 7-4 but a decision to try and steal home with two outs ended the inning.

In his first appearance on the mound in two months because of injury, Tennessee pitcher A.J. Russell pitched the sixth for the Vols and got out of a jam with a strikeout, stranding runners on the corners and holding the Commodores scoreless for the first time since the second.

Espinal homered for the second time in the seventh, plating three runs and stretching Tennessee's deficit to 9-4.

Vanderbilt added insurance in the eighth with a three-run home run from Jonathan Vastine and Colin Barczi hit another in the ninth.

1. Hunter Ensley RBI double give Tennessee early lead in the second inning

2. Reese Chapman trims Tennessee deficit with three-run home run in the fourth.

3. A.J. Russell gets out of jam in first appearance since March 23.

Tennessee will face either 4-seed Texas A&M and 5-seed Mississippi State in an elimination game on Thursday.

The Bulldogs and Aggies play in the night cap Wednesday following the Vols' game against Vanderbilt.

First pitch between Tennessee and TexasA&M/Mississippi State will follow Game 9 between 3-seed Kentucky and 2-seed Arkansas on SEC Network.

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