SEC Friday baseball recap: Vols bomb Ole Miss, Carolina snaps Vandy's streak, more

Photo courtesy of Tennessee athletics.

Here's what happened in SEC baseball action on Friday, March 25.

Vols bomb Rebels in Oxford

In the first game what's perhaps the nation's biggest series, Tennessee (21-1, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) went to Ole Miss (16-5, 2-2) and blasted the Rebels by a 12-1 count on Friday night. Redshirt freshman leadoff man Jared Dickey blasted two home runs (making for his second multiple-home-run game) while Trey Lipscomb blasted his 11th home run and Blake Burke and Luc Lipcius added their fifth and seventh of the year, respectively. 

Tennessee's freshman right-hander Chase Burns shared the headlines with seven dominant innings, striking out eleven while allowing just three runners and one run in a 106-pitch outing. 

Meanwhile, Ole Miss starter John Gaddis (1.1 IP, 6 ER) and reliever Dylan DeLucia (6.2 IP, 5 ER) each struggled, though DeLucia chipped in with 96 pitches to save the Rebel bullpen.    

Sanders stymies Vandy

South Carolina ace Will Sanders was terrific, allowing two earned runs with 11 strikeouts in a 104-pitch outing, stopping the Gamecocks' (11-11, 1-4) five-game losing skid in an 8-2 victory over Vanderbilt. Andrew Eyster (two hits, two runs, four RBIs) was the night's offensive star with the game's only home run.

Vanderbilt (19-3, 4-1) saw its 18-game winning streak snapped as it lost for the first time since Feb. 20. Freshman lefty Carter Holton had by far his worst collegiate outing, retiring just four of the 14 hitters he faced as his ERA skyrocketed to 5.79. Patrick Riley struck out 14 in 5.2 innings of relief. 

Barco brilliant again as Florida tops LSU

Florida's Hunter Barco continues to put himself firmly in the league's Pitcher of the Year conversations with outings like Friday's, during which Barco threw seven shutout innings with with eight strikeouts while lowering his ERA to 1.41 in a 7-2 win over LSU in Gainesville. The Gators (17-5, 3-1) had just seven hits, but three were home runs as Wyatt Langford, Colby Halter and BT Riopelle each had one. 

All three of the home runs came off LSU starter Blake Money, who allowed six runs (all earned) and saw his ERA rise to 4.05. The Tigers (15-7, 1-3) managed only four hits, the big one being a home run by catcher Hayden Travinski. 

Cannon handles Wildcats' bats

Georgia ace Jonathan Cannon went to Lexington and gave the Bulldogs (18-4, 3-1) exactly what they needed in a 4-2 win over Kentucky, which came in with one of the league's most productive offenses. Cannon allowed just five runners and two runs in a 94-pitch outing as shortstop Josh McAllister clubbed the game's only home run as part of a two-hit, two-RBI night. 

Kentucky right-hander Cole Stupp (5 1/3 innings, three runs, all earned) took the loss as the Wildcats (15-8, 0-4) got a double and two RBIs from Daniel Harris IV. 

Late game long balls put State on top 

After Alabama (13-10, 1-3) starter Garrett McMillan turned in another strong performance, 5.1 IP 6 H 6 K 1 ER, the State (14-9, 2-2) bats woke up and scored in three of the last four innings. Down to the last out in the 9th, star freshman Hunter Hines blasted a game tying 2-run HR to send the game to extras.  In the bottom of the 10th RJ Yeager played hero as he blasted a walk off solo HR to end it.

Arkansas tops Mizzou to stay unbeaten in league play

Catcher Michael Turner proved to be the engine of the Arkansas lineup as he drove in 3 if the hogs 7 runs Friday. Cayden Wallace added three hits while Braydon Webb hit his 4th home run. Starter Connor Noland posted a respectable line in the road start, going just 5 and allowing 3 runs, but striking out 9. 

While Missouri (12-6, 0-4) outhit Arkansas (17-3, 4-0) by a count of 15 to 12, the Tigers only managed to plate 5 runs. Torin Montgomery and Carlos Peña each had three hits and an RBI.

Tigers shine late to win in Aggieland

Down to it’s last strike in the 9th, Auburn’s Brooks Carlson drove in two runs via a double to tie the game and keep the Tigers alive. In a peculiar turn of events, the following hitter was called out for using an illegal bat after a base hit put the winning run just 90 feet away. However, that wouldn’t alter the outcome as Blake Rambusch drove in a run with a 2-out single which proved to be the winning run. 

On the mound the Tigers took the Johnny Wholestaff approach as three pitchers logged three innings before Blake Burkhalter pitched the 10th inning earning the save.