Tennessee Downs Commodores to Win Vanderbilt Series in Nashville For First Time in Over a Decade

Tennessee baseball has won 18 games in a row and remains perfect in SEC play.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.– The No. 1 Tennessee baseball Volunteers achieved the series win over Vanderbilt with a 5-2 win in game two on Saturday night in Nashville. 

The series win marks Tennessee's first against Vanderbilt on the road since 2009, as the Vols continue to show why they are the consensus No. 1 ranked team in the nation. The Vols are now 26-1 on the season with an 8-0 SEC record, tying a program-best start to conference play (1966). 

The Vols got started early with an unorthodox three-run inning in the first. And a two-run bomb from Trey Lipscomb in the top of the fifth allowed Tennessee to take a comfortable lead.

Vandy made some noise in the bottom of the seventh, cracking a pair of solo home runs off of Dollander. 

However, Tony Vitello kept Dollander on the mound in the eighth inning. And it worked, as the sophomore went on to deliver his sixth 1-2-3 inning of the night. 

Redmond Walsh closed things out for Tennessee in the ninth, as Dollander walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the ninth. Dollander's retired 23 of 27 batters faced in a career-high eight innings pitched. 

Dollander's official final line is below. 

Chase Dollander final line:
8 IP (season-high), 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 74 strikes on 105 pitches , 27 BF

— Jack Foster (@jackfostermedia) April 3, 2022

Vols Take Early Lead in Odd First Inning

Jordan Beck started things off for the Vols with a one-out RBI double to score a walked Jorel Ortega, and Lipscomb followed it up two ABs later with a blooper ground-rule double to score Beck and advance Gilbert to third. 

With two in scoring position, Seth Stephenson reached first base on a wild pitch, and the catcher rifled the ball to second in an attempt to get Lipscomb out, but Kolwyck chose not to tag Lipscomb out and threw it back to home plate, but Gilbert beat the throw and was safe at home for Tennessee's third run of the inning. 

Lipscomb Booms a Two-Run Shot to Stop the Drought

In the top of the fifth, Trey Lipscomb left the yard for the 11th time this season with a two-run shot to extends Tennessee's lead to 5-0 at the time. 

Lipscomb's homer ended a solid three-inning stretch from Vanderbilt's Carter Holton, as Tennessee had recorded only two hits and zero runs after the bizarre first inning. 

Dollander Dominates  

Other than a pair of Vanderbilt solo home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, Chase Dollander was near perfect on Saturday night. 

Dollander pitched into the ninth inning and was pulled after walking Vandy's leadoff batter. Dollander continued to look composed and unfazed on the mound, throwing 74 strikes on 105 pitches and six strikeouts on a career-high eight innings pitched. The sophomore's walk in the ninth inning was his only one of the night. 

Dollander allowed a mere three hits on the night to the No. 9 team in the nation, as the Commodores' third hit came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dominic Keegan singled up the middle. 

However, nothing came of it for Vanderbilt, as he was caught stealing at second by Evan Russell. 

With his performance, Dollander gets the win to improve to 5-0 on the season, thus keeping Tennessee's weekend rotation undefeated record alive. 

Redmond Walsh Takes Care of Business

Following Vitello's decision to pull Dollander, Redmond Walsh took the mound for the Vols. The super-senior did his job and earned the save, forcing Enrique Bradfield to ground into a double play and Diaz to ground out to end the contest. 

Walsh's save marks his fourth of the season, and he is yet to walk a batter. 

Up Next

Tennessee will go for the series sweep on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET against Vanderbilt in Nashville. The Vols have a 100 percent sweep percentage on the season, and if Tennessee can win their third against the Commodores tomorrow, it will mark Tennessee's sixth sweep of the season, the most in a season under Tony Vitello.

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