Live Updates: No. 24 Alabama Baseball at No. 1 Tennessee
The biggest road series of the season for Alabama baseball has come at last.
After winning nine of its last 10 games — including seven in a row — the Crimson Tide now sits in second place in the SEC West. Alabama is now 7-5 in SEC play, with a 22-12 overall record. No matter what successes it has had recently, though, the 31-2 Tennessee Volunteers stand in its way.
Tennessee has gotten off to a historic start this year, finishing its first four weekends of SEC play with a perfect 12-0 record. After losing 7-2 to Texas back on March 4, the Volunteers went on a 23-0 winning streak before losing this past Tuesday night to Tennessee Tech.
Both Alabama and Tennessee have exhibited solid starting pitching, but the Volunteers' bullpen gets the edge with a very deep slate of talent. Both lineups also bring a lot to the plate, with the Volunteers getting an edge in power and Alabama capitalizing with small ball.
This weekend's series is sure to not disappoint, regardless of what side of the aisle you sit on as a fan. On a weekend like this, college baseball fans in general win.
Follow along below for live updates, stats and information as No. 24 Alabama and No. 1 Tennessee square off on the diamond in Game 1 of this weekend's three-game series.
Live Updates
Final Score: Alabama 6, Tennessee 3
Bottom 9
- Ball game. Alabama wins Game 1. Final score. Alabama 6, Tennessee 3.
Top 9
- Alabama gets a much-needed insurance run with a two-out RBI-triple by Williamson. Tamez scores. 6-3 Crimson Tide.
Bottom 8
- Ray retires the final two batters of the inning, and we'll head to the ninth.
- Final line for Guffey: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 10 TP.
- Guffey's night is done, as he is replaced by Dylan Ray. One out, nobody on base.
Top 8
- Tidwell strikes out the side, and we head to the bottom of the eighth.
Bottom 7
- Guffey forces Lipcius to pop up to the second baseman Eblin, and Alabama escapes the inning.
- Final line for Hoopes: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 25 TP.
- Brock Guffey will replace Hoopes on the mound. Two outs, runner on first.
Top 7
- A nine-pitch inning, and Mabrey retires Alabama in order.
Bottom 6
- Hoopes retires two of the next three batters to end the inning.
- Final line for McMillan: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 5 K, 110 TP.
- McMillan's night is done, and Hunter Hoopes will take to the mound.
- Ortega hits a solo home run to left field, and Tennessee has chipped one run off of Alabama's lead. 5-3 Crimson Tide with one out and no runners on base.
Top 6
- 1-2-3 and the Alabama side is retired in order by Mabrey.
Bottom 5
- McMillan makes it back-to-back innings having retired the side in order. McMillan now has four strikeouts on the game.
Top 5
- Hamiter hit a leadoff single, but Mabrey retires the next three batters in order.
Bottom 4
- Three up, three down for McMillan in the fourth.
Top 4
- A double play ends the inning, but the Crimson Tide has taken a 3-run lead.
- A sac-fly by Williamson scores Eblin from third, who had advanced to third on an infield bunt single by Jarvis. 5-2 Alabama. One out, runners on first and second.
- Tamez reached on a fielding error by the shortstop, Eblin advanced to second and Pinckney scored. 4-2 Alabama. Runners on first and second, still nobody out.
- Final line for Burns: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 74 TP.
- Chase Burns' night is done as he is replaced on the mound by Will Mabrey. Runners on first and second, nobody out for Alabama.
- Diodati hits his second solo home run of the game, and Alabama takes a 3-2 lead.
Bottom 3
- Tennessee records back-to-back singles, but McMillan gets out of the inning. Still tied 2-2.
Top 3
- Alabama leaves two runners stranded, but the Crimson Tide has tied the game courtesy of a solo shot by Jarvis.
- Jarvis hits a solo home run to right field, and the game is now tied.
Bottom 2
- McMillan gets out of a bases-loaded jam after walking three batters. Inning over.
Top 2
- Diodati smacks a solo home run over the fence in left field. Tennessee still leads 2-1. That's Diodati's seventh home run of the season.
Bottom 1
- Lipscomb singled to center, and another runner scores for Tennessee. 2-0 Volunteers.
- A two-out triple by Gilbert scores one and puts Tennessee on the board first.
Top 1
- Alabama leaves Denton stranded on first as we head to the bottom of the first.
- Jarvis flied out to left-center field, and we are underway at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Pregame
- Tonight's Game 1 is slated for a 5:30 p.m. CT first pitch.
- Alabama took in a practice on Friday morning ahead of this evening's game:
- Tonight's umpires:
- HP: Jeffrey Macias
- 1B: Ryan Broussard
- 2B: Javerro January
- 3B: Joe Harris
- Current weather conditions in Knoxville: Mid-70s Fahrenheit, 6 mph winds out of the southwest, no rain on the radar for tonight's game.
- Starting lineup for the Crimson Tide can be found below.
- Starting lineup for the Volunteers:
Alabama Baseball Starting Lineup
1. Jim Jarvis (SS)
2. Drew Williamson (1B)
3. Zane Denton (3B)
4. William Hamiter (RF)
5. Tommy Seidl (LF)
6. Owen Diodati (DH)
7. Andrew Pinckney (CF)
8. Bryce Eblin (2B)
9. Dominic Tamez (C)
Starting Pitcher: RHP Garrett McMillan