Live Blog: No. 4 Vanderbilt Baseball vs No. 8 Tennessee at SEC Tournament

HOOVER, Ala. - Two rivals face off for the fourth time this season on a perfect spring Saturday at the Hoover Met as 4-seeded Vanderbilt takes on 8-seeded Tennessee with eyes on advancing to Sunday's championship game.

The Commodores took two out of three in Knoxville in a heated regular season series just two weeks ago.

"Going off the last time we played them, just keeping the emotions intact," Commodores pitcher JD Thompson said on Thursday. "We know what kind of game it's going to be. It's always going to be a good game with those guys. Just staying with ourselves and not trying to let certain situations get the best of us or let emotions kind of get too high."

Starting Lineups

Vanderbilt Starting Lineup	Tennessee Starting Lineup
1. 2B - Rustan Rigdon	1. SS - Gavin Kilen
2. CF - RJ Austin	2. 1B - Andrew Fischer
3. 1B - Riley Nelson	3. CF - Hunter Ensley
4. 3B - Brodie Johnston	4. LF - Dalton Bargo
5. LF - Braden Holcomb	5. 1B - Dean Curley
6. C - Colin Barczi	6. RF - Reese Chapman
7. SS - Jonathan Vastine	7. DH - Levi Clark
8. RF - Jacob Humphrey	8. C - Cannon Peeble
9. DH - Mike Mancini	9. 3B - Manny Marin

Starting Pitchers

Tennessee: Tegan Kuhns - (2-3) 35.1 IP, 39 K, 16 BB, 4.58 ERA
Vanderbilt: Cody Bowker - (2-4), 62.2 IP, 84 K, 26 BB, 4.74 ERA

Live Blog

Be sure to refresh your browser for live updates from the SEC Tournament semifinal matchup between Vanderbilt and Tennessee. The most recent updates will appear at the top.

Top of the 7th

And there it is: Tennessee pops out for the final out of the game as Vanderbilt wins it 10-0 to move onto the SEC Championship game against LSU or Ole Miss. An all-around dominating game for the Commodores.

A walk and a single puts runners on the corner for Tennessee with two outs.

A strikeout and a fly out puts it at two outs in the inning. Vanderbilt is one out away from a run-rule victory over its arch rival if Tennessee does not score.

Bottom of the 6th

Andrew Behnke now in to pitch for Tennessee with two on and two out for the Commodores. Johnston flies out to end the inning, but another great inning for Vanderbilt. The Commodores are three outs away from victory if they shutout the Volunteers in the 7th.

Another clutch two-out hit, this time from Riley Nelson. It's 10-0 Vanderbilt, which would now put the run-rule in effect. If Tennessee does not score in the 7th inning, the game will end.

Make that 9-0 Vanderbilt as Austin singles to left. Vanderbilt's offense has been relentless today, putting pressure on the Tennessee pitchers in seemingly every inning.

Rigdon is walked and puts runners on second and first with two outs. Tennessee makes another pitching change for Brayden Krenzel.

Mancini gets a two-out RBI single and extends the lead to 8-0 for Vanderbilt. The Commodores continue to put up more insurance offense.

Top of the 6th

Holcomb makes an incredible chase down catch in left field for the second out of the inning and then Tennesse's Curley flies out to end the inning. Fennell has thrown just 16 pitches in two innings, he's wasting absolutely no time today.

Bottom of the 5th

Nothing doing in the fifth for Vanderbilt with two pop outs and a groundout to second.

Top of the 5th

Fennell makes quick work of it his first inning on the mound as he goes three up and three down.

Connor Fennell replaces Bowker on the mound to start the inning. I'm guessing Bowker was pulled to get rested up for next week's Regional round. Bowker was pitched very well and gave his team exactly what they needed to start the game.

Bottom of the 4th

Rigdon gets his third hit of the day, but is caught stealing second as RJ Austin strikes out. Vanderbilt's offense is stopped for the first time today.

Top of the 4th

A strikeout and a fly out ends the inning. Tennessee goes from potentially having runners on second and third with no outs to not scoring a run. That was a huge swing in this game for the Vanderbilt defense to prevent a Tennessee rally.

Tennessee starts the inning with a single and a double. Curley tries to put Tennessee on the board going from first to home, but is called out after review. One out with a runner on second for Tennessee. Huge out for the Commodores there.

Bottom of the 3rd

Jacob Humphrey strikes out looking to end the inning, but Vanderbilt continues to capitalize on Tennessee's defensive and pitching mistakes. If you're Vanderbilt, you have to keep the foot on the gas.

Tanner Franklin out to pitch for Tennessee. Franklin's first pitch is a wild pitch and Barczi scores from third and Vastine moves to third. 7-0 Vanderbilt.

Vastine is walked to load the bases, and a wild pitch allows Johnston to score from third. 6-0 Vanderbilt runners on third and second with two out.

Barczi reaches first off a fielding error from Tennessee. Runners on first and second with two outs for Vastine.

Top of the 3rd

My goodness that's now 8 strikeouts for Bowker. Vanderbilt's ability to find the strike zone and strike out batters this tournament thus far has been unreal to see.

Make that 7 K's for Bowker. Two outs, but a Tennessee single puts a runner on first.

Bottom of the 2nd

Rigdon gets caught stealing second to end the inning. But the Commodores offense once again has come to play early, plenty of run support continuing to provide their pitching staff.

Rigdon gets his second hit of the day, this time a two-RBI single to make it 5-0 Vanderbilt. What a great start, but there's no time for Vanderbilt to get complacent.

Mancini lays down a perfect bunt to score Barczi. Tennessee flips the ball over the head of the first basemen and allows Mancini to move to second. Second and third with one out. 3-0 Vanderbilt.

Dyland Loy on to pitch now for Tennessee, runners on the corners and one out for Mancini.

Humphrey hits one up the middle and brings home Holcomb to make it 2-0 Vanderbilt. Runners on the corners and one out

Vastine strikes out, but Barczi steals second. Third and second on with one out.

Back-to-back singles up the middle for Holcomb and Barczi to put runners on the corners and no outs. Big opportunity for the Commodores here.

Top of the 2nd

Manny Marin flies out to right field to end the inning. It's been a strong start for Bowker, looks like he is very in command of his stuff today.

The first five outs of the game for Bowker were all strikeouts. He then got a 6th K, but a wild pitch allowed Tennessee batter to move to first base.

Bottom of the 1st

Brodie Johnston flies out to right field to end the inning. Nonetheless, still big for the Commodores to get on the board first.

Nelson singles down the right field line and scores Rigdon for the first run of the game. Nelson tried to advance to second off a throwing error, but was called out. Looked safe at first, but was just barely out. 1-0 Vanderbilt.

Top of the 1st

Bowker allows two runners on base, but strikes out two Volunteer batters and gets out of the first inning without allowing a run.

Pregame:

Vanderbilt is in their all-white uniforms while Tennessee is wearing all-grey uniforms. There is plenty of orange in the crowd today as the crowd fills into the seats before the game.

It's a great morning for baseball in Hoover today. It will be 74 degrees at first pitch with winds up to 10 mph. It is expected to stay partly sunny throughout today's game with temperatures rising into the 80s by the end of the game.