| BSB/SB ⚾ Bama Suffers 9-2 Loss at #1 UT on Saturday (Rubber Match~ Sunday @ 12 CT on SECN+)

[RTB.com]

Top-25 Showdown in Knoxville as No. 24 Alabama Meets with Top-Ranked Tennessee - Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball heads eastward to Knoxville for a top-25 showdown with the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers.

rolltide.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama baseball heads eastward to Knoxville for a top-25 showdown with the top-ranked Tennessee Volunteers. The series opener on Friday is set for a 5:30 p.m. CT first pitch at Lindsey Nelson Stadium followed by a 5 p.m. start for game two. Things wrap up on Sunday at 12 p.m. with all three games airing live on SEC Network+.

Follow the Tide​

Fans can follow this weekend's games via the below outlets:
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: 100.9 FM / CTSN / The Varsity App
Twitter: @AlabamaBSB
Live Stats: UTSports.com

Probable Starting Pitching Matchups​

FRIDAY: UA – Garrett McMillan (Jr., RHP) vs. UT – Chase Burns (Fr., RHP)
SATURDAY: UA – Jacob McNairy (Sr., RHP) vs. UT – Chase Dollander (So., RHP)
SUNDAY: UA – Grayson Hitt (So., LHP) vs. UT – Drew Beam (Fr., RHP)

Leading Off​

• Alabama and Tennessee will meet for the 120th time in series history when the two teams square off on Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on the UT campus. The Crimson Tide holds the all-time series advantage at 77-42, including a 25-22 mark in Knoxville.
• The two cross-division foes last met for two games in the SEC Tournament on May 26 and 28 last season. The Crimson Tide claimed game one with a wild 3-2 victory. The Volunteers followed with an 11-0 victory over the Tide in seven innings two days later. It marked the fifth time the two teams met during the 2021 campaign, with Tennessee holding a 3-2 advantage across the five matchups.
• Alabama will open the series in Knoxville with the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week, junior right-hander Garrett McMillan, on the mound. Senior righty Jacob McNairy will take the hill on Saturday followed by left-hander Grayson Hitt, a sophomore, in Sunday's matchup.
• Tennessee will use a trio of right-handers in the weekend series. Freshman Chase Burns gets the call on Friday followed by sophomore Chase Dollander on Saturday. The Vols will then look to freshman Drew Beam in the series finale.

---

• Game Notes
• Tennessee Preview
• Live Stats
• Watch: Friday
• Watch: Saturday
• Watch: Sunday

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[BamaFan334]

Tennessee still hitting with wood bats?

 

[BamaFan334]

Vols fans pissed off in the Bottom of the 9th. All of a sudden everything should be a ball. One more out to stay hott!

 

[BamaFan334]

Roll Tide! 6-3 good guys.

 

[mando]

Always good to beat the Viles regardless of the sport.

 

[UA Press Release]

No. 1 Knocked Off in Knoxville as Baseball Downs Top-Ranked Tennessee, 6-3 - Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball knocked off No. 1 Tennessee, 6-3, on Friday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

rolltide.com

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama baseball knocked off No. 1 Tennessee, 6-3, on Friday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The win moved the Crimson Tide to 23-12 overall and 8-5 in Southeastern Conference play.

Tennessee got on the board early, plating two runs on four hits in the first inning. The Tide answered with a solo home run from Owen Diodati in the top of the second followed by a solo shot from Jim Jarvis in the third to even things up at two apiece. The lead became UA's an inning later when Alabama posted three runs in the top of the fourth, highlighted by the go-ahead solo home run from Diodati, his second of the day. Alabama would not trail the rest of the evening.

The Vols cut the lead to two with a solo homer in the sixth before both teams went scoreless until the ninth. That final inning saw Alabama add an insurance run on a two-out RBI-triple from Drew Williamson to make it a 6-3 ballgame. Tennessee singled to start the ninth but would do no more damage as the Vols were then retired in order for the final three outs, securing the series-opening win for UA.

Garrett McMillan (4-2) settled in after a shaky first to pick up his fourth win of the season. The junior gave up two runs in that opening stanza but locked in to allow just three hits and one run over his final 4.1 innings. McMillan's line featured three runs on seven hits and four walks with five strikeouts across 5.1 frames before he turned it over to the bullpen. Three Tide relievers combined for the final 3.2 scoreless innings, holding the Vols to just two hits and a walk while striking out three. The relief effort was highlighted by Dylan Ray, who worked the final 1.2 innings to pick up his fourth save of the season.

Alabama's offensive effort was led by Diodati with the junior finishing 2-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI and a pair of runs scored. The Tide's 1-through-3 hitters also contributed two-hit efforts, as Williamson went 2-for-4 with two RBI from the two-hole, while Jarvis and Denton each recorded a 2-for-5 night from the No. 1 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

From Head Coach Brad Bohannon​

"This was just a total, complete effort. Garrett McMillan kind of nibbled early and pitched through a lot of traffic – the game almost got out of hand on us in the first couple of innings – but he settled in and put up some zeroes. We got some production up and down the lineup. Obviously (Owen) Diodati with the two home runs was big, and it was big to score in the ninth. Our bullpen was outstanding. Hunter Hoopes and Brock Guffey did a great job of getting us to Dylan Ray. This was just a great win over a great team, and I'm excited to get out here and play again tomorrow."

How It Happened​

• B1 | A two-out single followed by a triple brought in one for the Vols. Another single followed to score the inning's second run. (2-0, Tennessee)
• T2 | Owen Diodati sent a 1-0 pitch the opposite way for a solo home run. (2-1, Tennessee)
• T3 | Jim Jarvis evened things up with a solo homer to right. (2-2)
• T4 | Diodati led off the inning with his second solo shot of the night, this one to straightaway center. Andrew Pinckney followed with a single with Bryce Eblin joining him on base thanks to a walk. A grounder to short in the next at-bat from Dominic Tamez resulted in an error and allowed Pinckney to score. After a bunt single from Jarvis loaded the bases, Drew Williamson sent a sacrifice fly to center to add one more. (5-2, Alabama)
• B6 | Jorel Ortega cut into UA's lead with a solo home run. (5-3, Alabama)
• T9 | Williamson delivered an RBI-triple off the wall in center to add a late insurance run. (6-3, Alabama)

 

[TerryP]

Two things that aren't lost on anyone outside of those in Knoxville (and perhaps they realize it as well?)

1) UT has a good baseball club.
2) They've been extremely brash, egotistical to the point of obnoxiousness.

Yesterday I almost posted "I hope Bama can grab at least one of the three this weekend." So, seeing this?



Wes himself is a little upset as well:

---

It reminds me of how upset the Mizzou coach was when Bama clinched on their home field in softball a few years ago.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[BamaFan334]

Two things that aren't lost on anyone outside of those in Knoxville (and perhaps they realize it as well?)

1) UT has a good baseball club.
2) They've been extremely brash, egotistical to the point of obnoxiousness.

Yesterday I almost posted "I hope Bama can grab at least one of the three this weekend." So, seeing this?



Wes himself is a little upset as well:

---

It reminds me of how upset the Mizzou coach was when Bama clinched on their home field in softball a few years ago.

Just read this, and all I could do is laugh. It wasn't even a celebration more than guys happy they won from what I aas watching. Just sour grapes. I expressed how their fans were in the bottom of the 9th anyways. Their baseball team has taken on the persona of their coach, just a complete dickwad.

 

[UA Press Release]

No. 24 Crimson Tide Suffers 9-2 Loss at Top-Ranked Tennessee on Saturday - University of Alabama Athletics

Alabama baseball suffered a 9-2 loss to top-ranked Tennessee on Saturday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

rolltide.com

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama baseball suffered a 9-2 loss to top-ranked Tennessee on Saturday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. The 24th-ranked Crimson Tide is now 23-13 overall and 8-6 in Southeastern Conference play.

The two teams combined for four homers, leading to six of the 11 total runs on the night. The Volunteers used a two-run home run in the first and a solo shot in the third to build a 3-0 lead early. Alabama countered with a two-run homer from Zane Denton in the sixth to make it a one-run affair, but Tennessee answered with a pair of solo home runs and used a throwing error to score three in the home half to put the game out of reach. The Volunteers would add three more in the eighth for the 9-2 final.

Jacob McNairy (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season despite another solid start. The senior tossed 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Tennessee reliever Camden Sewell (4-1) earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts in his 4.1 emergency innings of work. Sewell entered the game in the top of the second following an injury to UT starter Chase Dollander.

From Head Coach Brad Bohannon​

"Jacob (McNairy) did a pretty good job tonight. He gave us 5.0 innings of three runs, and we'll take that every time out. He exited with the game at 3-2 and gave us a shot. We just didn't do as well out of the bullpen and defensively today as you need to, to be able to beat the No. 1 team in the country on the road."

How It Happened​

• B1 | Jordan Beck got the Vols on the board with a two-run home run. (2-0, Tennessee)
• B3 | A one-out triple followed by a lineout brought in another tally for UT. (3-0, Tennessee)
• T6 | Drew Williamson singled to right to give the Tide a one-out baserunner. Zane Denton followed, clearing the bases with a two-run home run. (3-2, Tennessee)
• B6 | Jordan Beck led off the inning with a solo homer. Two outs later, Luc Lipcius added one with a solo home run of his own. The Vols then reached a pair and a double steal led to a Tide error, bringing in the inning's third run. (6-2, Tennessee)
• B8 | Two throwing errors bookended an RBI-single to help the Volunteers add three more runs. (9-2, Tennessee)

 

[UAgrad93]

You can’t commit errors and give a good team more opportunities to score!

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Saw this posted..

quote:

---

Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello and pitching coach Frank Anderson have been suspended for today’s series finale against Alabama, according to a UT spokesperson.

The full extent of Vitello and Anderson’s suspension has yet to be decided.

 

[TerryP]

Saw this posted..

quote:

---

Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello and pitching coach Frank Anderson have been suspended for today’s series finale against Alabama, according to a UT spokesperson.

The full extent of Vitello and Anderson’s suspension has yet to be decided.

I watched what led to the suspension last night and it still doesn't make a lick of sense to me. They should have been suspended, but what set them off lacks reasonable explanation.

"The batter hit the ball at the pitcher on purpose trying to injure him."

 

[TerryP]

The full extent of Vitello and Anderson’s suspension has yet to be decided.

Initially, Tennessee suspended Vitello for only one game. Then, the NCAA stepped in and upped the suspension to four games. Additionally, the Volunteers baseball leader won’t be able to appeal the suspension, according to the NCAA rule book.

To illustrate, Alabama’s Zane Denton hit a line drive off of Tennessee starting pitcher Chase Dollander. The Vols got the out to close out the inning, but Dollander fell to the ground in pain. Tennessee pitching coach Frank Anderson quickly came out of the dugout yelling at the Alabama dugout and had to be separated by the umpires.

Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello wasn’t far behind as their trainer was looking at Dollander. Both coaches were arguing with a number of umpires when Anderson was then ejected. That escalated matters and Tony Vitello started arguing with third base umpire Jeffrey Macias. They argued for about a minute before Macias ejected Vitello. Then after he was ejected, Vitello took his hat off and marched towards Macias and bumped him. Macias jumped back a bit once he was bumped and the two were then separated by the other umpires.



In a twist of irony, Vitello was ejected one year ago to the day on April 16, 2021 in a loss to Vanderbilt. Third base umpire Jeffrey Macias tossed both Anderson and Vitello. Macias was the home-plate umpire in Tennessee’s 6-3 loss on Friday night and in the Vols’ 8-4 loss to Texas in the College World Series last year.