KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — 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 (56-8) looks to save its season against No. 17 Notre Dame (39-14) in game two of the Knoxville Super Regional.
The Fighting Irish won game one on Friday night 8-6 to take game one of the best two out of three series.
First pitch: 2:06 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN
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Starting Lineup
Four Takeaways
Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s 12-4 win over Notre Dame in game two to even up the Knoxville Super Regional:
Rounding 1st — Chase Dollander saves the season
Tennessee's offense will get a lot of the talk following its eight-run win to save its season, but it was Chase Dollander who saved the season. Facing elimination, Dollander made his 14th start of the season and improved to 10-0 with 7.0 dominant innings of work.
Dollander allowed just two runs on five hits, didn't walk an Irish hitter and struck out five on 112 pitches, while also preserving the Tennessee bullpen with a game three on the horizon. 77 of his pitches were strikes.
Rounding 2nd — Vols get to Bertrand
Tennessee was up against it entering the day with Notre Dame ace John Michael Bertrand on the mound. That's not how it ended up playing out, however, as the Vols were able to get to the All-ACC First Team lefty.
While it was a pitcher's duel over the first four innings, Tennessee struck for eight runs in the top of the fifth to take a commanding 9-1 lead. Five of the eight runs came off Bertrand.
Against the Vols, Bertrand turned in his second-shortest outing (4.1 innings) of the season. He allowed a season-high six earned runs on eight hits (third-most), as well as a season-high three home runs. Bertrand struck out four and walked one.
In the eight-run fifth inning, Luc Lipcius hit two home runs — a solo homer and a three-run homer— while Jordan Beck hit a three-run homer and Evan Russell hit a solo homer, respectively.
Rounding 3rd — Rewriting the history books
That big fifth inning rewrote the Tennessee baseball record books in unique fashion. Luc Lipcius' first home run to lead off the frame was No. 38 of his career to tie Todd Helton and Evan Russell for most in program history.
Later in the inning, Russell hit a solo home run to break the record and stand alone at the top of the record book with 39 career home runs. But only for two batters, because Lipcius hit his second home run of the inning to tie Russell once again for the record.
Lipcius became the third Vol ever to hit two home runs in the same inning. The last to do so was Kelly Edmundson on May 16, 2006 in the eighth inning of a game against Belmont.
Headed for Home — Win or go home
Tennessee's win on Saturday forced a winner-take-all Game 3 on Sunday afternoon. With Omaha on the line, first pitch is scheduled for 1:06 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Tennessee did not announce its starting pitcher, while Notre Dame head coach Link Jarrett said that junior RHP Liam Simon (2-0, 4.67 ERA) will start for the Irish.
The Vols will get Drew Gilbert back in the fold for the series finale. Gilbert was suspended for Saturday's game after being ejected in the fifth inning of Friday night's game.
Starting Pitchers
Tennessee's starting pitcher: Sophomore RHP Chase Dollander (9-0, 2.38 ERA) made his 14th start of the season and his 16th appearance.
Dollander's season stats entering the game: 72.0 IP, 24 H, 23 R, 19 ER, 13 BB, 103 K, .185172opponent batting average
Notre Dame's starting pitcher: Graduate Senior RHP John Michael Bertrand (9-2, 2.27 ERA) made his 17th start of the season and his 17th appearance.
Bertrand's season stats entering the game: 99.0 IP, 83 H, 30 R, 25 ER, 19 BB, 103 K, .223 opponent batting average
Key Plays
T-1st: Tennessee 1 (+1), Notre Dame 0
Tennessee struck first when Seth Stephenson led off the game with a single up the middle, and then with two outs, Trey Lipscomb hit an RBI double to score Stephenson all the way from first.
With Lipscomb on second, Evan Russell flew out to center to end the inning.
B-2nd: Tennessee 1, Notre Dame 0
Notre Dame left fielder Jack Zyska led off the inning with a single and stole second, but Chase Dollander proceeded to get a pop up, a line-out to right and a strikeout to end the inning.
T-3rd: Tennessee 1, Notre Dame 0
After Seth Stephenson was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch, he was tagged out on the bases to end the inning when Jordan Beck hit a ground ball to third.
T-4th: Tennessee 1, Notre Dame 0
Jared Dickey walked with two outs, but Christian Moore struck out to end the inning.
B-4th: Tennessee 1, Notre Dame 0
After Jack Zyska singled with one out, Chase Dollander got Jared Miller to fly out to center to end the inning.
T-5th: Tennessee 9 (+8), Notre Dame 0
Tennessee scored eight runs on seven hits and four home runs in the fifth inning.
Luc Lipcius led off the top of the fifth with a solo home run to dead center that gave the Vols a 2-0 lead. It was No. 38 of his career to tie Todd Helton and Evan Russell for the program record.
After Cortland Lawson doubled, and Seth Stephenson singled, Jordan Beck crushed a three-run home run to make it 5-0. It was his 18th of the season
Russell then set the home run record after Lipcius tied it earlier in the inning, hitting a solo shot for No. 39 of his career to pass Todd Helton and Lipcius and stand alone — at least for two batters.
Jared Dickey walked and Christian Moore singled to put runners on first and second, setting up Lipcius for a three-run homer, his second of the inning, and to tie Russell for the program's home run record once again.
B-5th: Tennessee 9, Notre Dame 1 (+1)
Notre Dame pushed its first run across in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI groundout after a single and walk to start the inning.
T-6th: Tennessee 9, Notre Dame 1
Jordan Beck doubled with one out in the sixth before Trey Lipscomb struck out and Evan Russell grounded out to end the inning.
B-6th: Tennessee 9, Notre Dame 2 (+1)
Chase Dollander gave up a single and a double in the sixth to put runners on second and third with one out. Notre Dame cashed in with an RBI groundout to second, but then struck out to strand another runner and keep it a 9-2 game.
T-7th: Tennessee 12 (+3), Notre Dame 2
Tennessee scored three runs on three hits and one Notre Dame error when Cortland Lawson hit a sacrifice fly, Luc Lipcius scored on an error and Jorel Ortega hit an RBI double.
B-8th: Tennessee 12, Notre Dame 4 (+2)
Mark McLaughlin relieved Chase Dollander to start the bottom of the eighth and immediately allowed a single up the middle. McLaughlin then recorded back-to-back strikeouts before allowing a two-run home run to Notre Dame left fielder Jack Zyska that made it 12-4.
Dollander's final line: 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 112 pitches (77 strikes) — improved to 10-0 on the season.
Final Box Score
Postgame Media
Where Tennessee is ranked this week:
Perfect Game: No. 1 (-)
USA Today Coaches Poll: No. 1 (-)
D1Baseball: No. 1 (-)
Collegiate Baseball: No. 1 (-)
NCBWA: No. 1 (-)
Baseball America: No. 1 (-)
This Week's Schedule
Friday, June 10: No. 17 Notre Dame (8) vs. No. 1 Tennessee (6)
Saturday, June 11: No. 17 Notre Dame (2) vs. No. 1 Tennessee (12)
Saturday, June 12: No. 17 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Tennessee, 1:06 p.m. ET (ESPN)
