Tennessee scored 17 runs on 11 hits, while starter Chase Dollander went seven innings and allowed just one run on six Vanderbilt hits as the Vols thrashed the Commodores 17-1 to secure their second series win of the year.
The one run Dollander gave up was a first-inning solo shot to Vandy’s three-hole hitter RJ Shreck. Dollander led off by striking out Vandy’s lead-off hitter Enrique Bradfield — a key considering if he gets on first, he’s definitely stealing second and third, likely without much resistance.
Dollander allowed a single after the home run, and it looked like Vanderbilt might be on its way to scoring a couple runs with two outs. Instead, Dollander struck out RJ Austin on three-straight strikes.
On the flip side, the Vols looked like they were on the way toward a zero in the B1 when Maui Ahuna grounded out and Hunter Ensley flew out on a combined seven pitches. Then the flood gates opened up. Tennessee went single, walk, walk, then Kavares Tears smacked an 0-2 pitch down the left-field line for a two-run single and the first two runs of the game for UT.
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 22, 2023B1 | Go with that thing KT!!
In an 0-2 count, KT slaps that pitch the other way and scores two runs! Vols take a 2-1 lead!!#GBO // #OTH // #BeatVandy pic.twitter.com/lx7WUAqbLB
Zane Denton doubled and scored Christian Moore, who was one of the walks earlier in the frame, and even Cal Stark, who was hitting below .100 in SEC play before today, got in on the action with a two-run single to left field.
The Vols batted around in the first, and on his second opportunity, Maui went wowie and put the exclamation mark on the inning with a bases-clearing, three-run home run that sailed out of the park just right of the batter’s eye in center.
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 22, 2023B1 | WOULD YOU LIKE MORE RUNS?!?!
Maui goes BOOM with a 3-run homer and it is now 8-1 Tennessee!!#GBO // #OTH // #BeatVandy pic.twitter.com/Hk8TskuiBI
Tennessee wasn’t done, despite putting up eight runs with two outs in the B1, as Hunter Ensley drew a full-count walk and Jared Dickey scored him on a single with a little help from an error on Vandy’s right-fielder that allowed Ensley to get all the way from first to home on a base hit.
Blake Burke struck out to end the first, after walking earlier in the inning, and UT found itself up 9-1 after six combined outs.
Dollander was tested again in the top of the second when he led the inning off with two, four-pitch walks and a double in between. But again, Dollander struck out the next two batters and forced a fly out to end the frame unscathed despite the bases being full of Vandy Boys.
UT’s offense didn’t let up in the second: Christian Moore drew a leadoff walk, then Denton singled to center after a Tears’ strikeout. Cal Stark popped up for an easy infield out, but the Vols rallied with two outs again when Christian Scott nearly cleared the left-center wall for a home run but ended up scoring Moore and Denton on a two-run double.
Maui Ahuna added his second RBI on his third at bat in the B2 with a single to center that brought home the fleet-of-foot Christian Scott. Hunter Ensley got hit by a pitch which advanced Ahuna into scoring position, but Jared Dickey ended the frame with a fly out to center. After two innings, Tennessee led 12-1 and provided some serious run support for Dollander to work with.
Tennessee’s ace from last season allowed hits and/or walks in each of the first three innings but managed to keep Vanderbilt from plating any runs outside the solo shot in the first. He gave up a leadoff double to Schreck in the third, then struck out Commodore cleanup hitter Jac Bulger on 2-2 swinging K. Dollander surrendered a one-out single that let Bulger advance to third. Lil Doe needed four pitches to get the final two outs and once again left Vandy with runners stranded (two).
Blake Burke’s leadoff home run in the B3 made it three -straight innings during which Tennessee scored a run, and though the next three batters didn’t do anything of note, after three frames, the Vols led 13-1.
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 22, 2023B3 | Blake Burke Blast™
13-1 Vols#GBO // #OTH // #BeatVandy pic.twitter.com/lUZXBbyPa3
The bats chased Vandy starter Bryce Cunningham in the first after he gave up eight, two-out runs, and then tagged relief pitcher Sam Hilboki for five hits and five runs in 3.1 IP.
Dollander settled in after working around traffic on the basepaths in the first three innings — in the fourth, he struck out a batter and got the other two outs on a combined seven pitches. Then in the fifth, he needed just six pitches to get three outs.
And in the bottom half of the fifth, the offense decided to step on some throats with four more runs: Vanderbilt went to sophomore and Tennessee native Colton Regen after Hilboki’s considerable lack of success, but the bats showed no mercy for their fellow Tennessean.
Ensley led the inning off with a single, then Jared Dickey drew a four-pitch walk and Christian Moore drew a full-count walk after Burke went down on an infield fly. Moore’s walk loaded the bases, and Kavares Tears got an RBI the hard way when he got hit by a pitch. Zane Denton walked in another run, and then Moore scored on a wild pitch. Christian Scott walked, which loaded the bases again, and Ahuna walked in the fourth and final run of the inning on a full-count ball. The Vols managed four runs with just one hit — Regen walked five batters and had a run scored on him via a wild pitch. Vandy got the third out of the inning with the bases still loaded, so as bad as it was, the bottom of the fifth could have been even worse. Regen’s season ERA went from 6 to 20, with today being his fourth appearance of the year.
In the top of the sixth, Dollander was just breezing through a Vanderbilt lineup that knew it was destined to get run-ruled. He got the first two outs on 11 pitches and then ended the inning on his eighth strikeout on a full-count, 95 MPH fastball up in the zone:
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 22, 2023M6 | Set 'em down Chase! His eighth strikeout of the game and 11th straight batter retired!
Vols 17, Vanderbilt 1#GBO // #OTH // #BeatVandy pic.twitter.com/PKvzYaop73
It kinda felt like Friday’s walk-off win had the potential to be a turning point in the season for this Tennessee team. Embarrassing Vanderbilt is always fun, but it’s more fun when it’s been a bit of a struggle through the early part of the schedule and the subsequent run-rule dub secured the series win.
A sweep would be massive for this team and the direction the rest of the season goes. This is still a young team that’s trying to find its way, but sweeping the No. 4 ranked team in the country would do wonders for the players’ confidence.
Lotsa folks have been hard on Maui Ahuna so far this year — batting leadoff today, he went 2-4 with a HR and five RBIs. Then there’s the bottom of the lineup, who I’ve been as critical as anyone on were absolutely critical to the win. Hitter 6-9: Tears, Denton, Stark and Scott combined for five hits in 11 at bats with nine RBIs.
Drew Beam likely starts tomorrow in the series finale with the first pitch scheduled for 1 PM EST.
FAQs
What is the score of the Tennessee Vanderbilt baseball game? ›
The Vols smashed Vanderbilt 17-1 on Saturday.
Who beat Tennessee baseball? ›The Vols lost the opener 5-2 on Thursday in a matchup between UT ace Chase Dollander and LSU ace Paul Skenes.
How many times has Tennessee beat Vanderbilt? ›...
Tennessee–Vanderbilt football rivalry.
| First meeting | October 21, 1892 Vanderbilt, 22–4 |
| Latest meeting | November 26, 2022 Tennessee, 56–0 |
| Next meeting | November 25, 2023 |
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Meetings total | 117 |
| Spread | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee11-2 | -14 Point Spread % of Bets 28% % of Money 49% TENN -14 Play Now | Play Now |
| Vanderbilt5-7 | +14 Point Spread % of Bets 28% % of Money 49% TENN -14 Play Now |
23. The entire Top-25 rankings can be found here. The Vols also earned the No. 1 spot in Baseball America's Top 25 for the first time in program history, and Tennessee keeps their No.
Who has beat Tennessee the most? ›| RK | TEAM | W-L |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Oregon State | 26-13 |
| 23 | Oregon | 26-12 |
| 24 | Tennessee | 26-14 |
| 25 | UTSA | 30-10 |
Ole Miss is Vanderbilt's cross-divisional rival in the SEC. Vanderbilt and Ole Miss have played 92 times since 1894. Ole Miss leads the series 51-39-2. The largest margin of victory was by 91 points won by Vanderbilt in 1915.
Who is Tennessee Vols biggest rival? ›The Tennessee fan who prioritizes the Vanderbilt rivalry works in Nashville. For years, he taunted co-workers about the Vols dominating the Commodores since the 1930s.
Has Vanderbilt ever beat a top 10 team? ›Vanderbilt rebounded with a stunning upset of #6 ranked South Carolina 17–6 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, beating a top 10 team for the first time in 33 years and a Steve Spurrier-coached team for the first time ever. It was the highest ranked team Vanderbilt had beaten since defeating #6 LSU in 1937.
What is the over under prediction for Tennessee Vanderbilt? ›
This time around, the Volunteers are favored by 10 points in the latest Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee odds from Caesars Sportsbook and the over/under is set at 134.5.
How much will Tennessee pay for rushing the field? ›SEC officials announced that the University of Tennessee will have to pay $100,000 after fans stormed the field after the win over Alabama. Geo resource failed to load. SEC officials announced that the University of Tennessee will have to pay $100,000 after fans stormed the field after the win over Alabama.
How much did tn pay ball state to play? ›So it's really marketing value.” In the case of the University of Tennessee Sept. 1, the Cardinals will receive $1.5 million for playing the Volunteers – a financial figure Goetz said is the going rate during this era of college football.
When was the last time Tennessee beat #1 ranked team? ›March 5, 1966 - Kentucky
1 ranked opponent on March 5, 1966. Tennessee defeated Kentucky, 69-62, against Kentucky at UT-Armory Fieldhouse. Ron Widby led the Vols with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Austin Robbins added 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Now, the onus is on Tennessee baseball. The Vols have never won the College World Series. They finished second in 1951.
When was the last time Tennessee was ranked 8? ›Tennessee has only finished the season ranked higher than they started six times since 1997: 1998: Started #10, ended #1. 2001: started #8, ended #4. 2004: started #14, ended #13.
When was the last time Tennessee was a top 5 team? ›The last time Tennessee football was in the top five this late in the season was 2001, when they reached as high as No. 2 at the end of the regular season after beating Florida on the road.
Who has won more Florida or Tennessee? ›...
Florida–Tennessee football rivalry.
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| All-time series | Florida leads, 31–21 |
| Largest victory | Tennessee, 45–3 (1990) |
| Longest win streak | Florida, 11 (2005–2015) |
| Most Consecutive Team State Championships | |
|---|---|
| Maryville | 17 |
| Brentwood Academy | 14 |
| Trousdale County | 9 |
| Webb School of Knoxville | 8 |
| # | School | +/- |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Science Hill (Johnson City) | |
| 2 | Collierville | |
| 3 | Houston (Germantown) | +1 |
| 4 | Farragut (Knoxville) | +1 |
What MLB team do people in Tennessee like? ›
What Is The Most Popular Mlb Team In Tennessee? The most popular MLB team in Tennessee is the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are one of the most successful teams in baseball, and they have a large fan base in Tennessee.
What MLB team does Tennessee root for? ›What Mlb Team Does Tennessee Root For? The Braves control the majority of the Southeastern United States, including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina, as well as significant portions of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida.
Is Tennessee baseball in the playoffs? ›Tennessee Eliminated From Baseball Playoffs by Notre Dame - The New York Times.
Is Tennessee baseball still 1? ›— Tennessee baseball is no longer the number one team in the country unanimously, across all major college baseball polls. Three of the five major college baseball polls still have the Vols as the top-ranked team.
Is the Tennessee Vanderbilt game sold out? ›– Vanderbilt Athletics announced that Saturday's football game versus Tennessee is sold out.
Has Vanderbilt ever been to a bowl game? ›Vanderbilt has been invited to nine bowl games, with the Commodores garnering a record of 4–4–1 in bowl games.
How can Tennessee still make the playoff? ›The Vols need to win by 40 points to have any shot of making the playoff. After that, Tennessee needs some serious help. Georgia needs to win out and narrowly beat LSU in the SEC Championship game (three-loss LSU won't get in, but a close loss will make UT's win over the Tigers look better).
Can University of Tennessee make the playoffs? ›No. 5 Tennessee (8-1, 4-1 SEC) can still make the College Football Playoff after losing to Georgia. That's the good news for the Vols.
Can Tennessee go to the championship? ›They have an 8.8 percent chance of winning the SEC and an 22.4 percent chance to win the East. There's now an 18 percent chance of Tennessee appearing in the National Championship Game, with FPI giving the Volunteers a 7 percent shot of winning it all.
Why is Tennessee still number 1? ›The Vols landed in the top spot of the debut College Football Playoff rankings for the 2022 season released on Tuesday night, giving the program its first No. 1 ranking since its memorable unbeaten run to the national championship 24 years ago.
Is this Tennessee baseball team the best ever? ›
According to the Massey Ratings, they are the best college baseball team ever as of now. The Vols have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 298-62. Massey's database ranks their offense third and their pitching/defense first in the country.
Will Tennessee ever get a MLB team? ›The Nashville Stars, a Tennessee management group vying to bring an MLB franchise to the state, announced the addition of Don Mattingly as an advisor. The group led by Dave Stewart has 2026 as the target date for Major League Baseball's Nashville expansion franchise.
Does Vanderbilt sell beer at games? ›Vanderbilt joins Arkansas, LSU, Missouri and Texas A&M as SEC schools to allow alcohol sales to the general public at home games under the updated conference policy. Andrew is a News Manager for XL Media's Saturday Football brands. Follow on Twitter.
Is Tennessee favored over Vanderbilt? ›Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee money line: Tennessee -550, Vanderbilt +400.
How much does it cost to go to a University of Tennessee game? ›You can find Tennessee Volunteers Football tickets for as low as $35.00, with an average ticket price of $96.00.
What is the oldest college bowl game? ›The Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl typically features the Big Ten winner taking on the Pac-12 winner in Pasadena, California. The event became annual in 1916 but began as early as 1902 and is the oldest bowl game to date.
The Rose Bowl Game, played at Rose Bowl stadium (shown), is the oldest operating bowl game—first played in 1902, it has been played annually since 1916.
What was Vanderbilt's best season ever? ›1. 1904: 9-0. Legendary coach Dan McGugin has many solid seasons from which to choose in the early decades of the 20th century. His Commodores were almost always among the nation's best in terms of winning percentage.