GAINESVILLE, Fla. – No. 1/1 Tennessee secured its ninth consecutive SEC road series win with a 3-0 blanking of Florida on Saturday night at Condron Family Ballpark.
With the win, UT improved to 36-3 overall and 16-1 in conference play, tying the best start in SEC history. The only other team to start league play 16-1 was the 1951 Volunteers, who finished as the runner-up at the College World Series. The Vols have also won their last three series against the Gators.
The duo of Blade Tidwell and Camden Sewell were lights out on the mound for the Big Orange, combining to hold the Gators (23-16, 6-11 SEC) to just two hits as UT recorded their seventh shutout of the season.
Making just his third start of the year and his first in SEC play, Tidwell was sharp in 4.2 shutout innings of work. The sophomore right hander allowed just two singles and one walk while striking out five batters on 72 pitches before making way for Sewell out of the bullpen in the fifth inning.
Sewell did not allow a hit over the final 4.1 innings and finished with three strikeouts en route to earning his first save of the year.
Luc Lipcius led the Vols at the dish, reaching base in all four of his plate appearances with a pair of hits and two walks. Lipcius was the only UT player with multiple hits on the night and has drawn five walks in the series while scoring three runs.
Florida starting pitcher Brandon Sproat provided the Gators with a quality start, holding the Vols to just one hit through the first four innings before Lipcius led off the fifth with a solo blast into the bullpen in right field. Cortland Lawson added a double later in the inning but was left stranded on second to end the frame. Sproat was stuck with the loss despite allowing just three runs on five hits in six innings of work.
The Big Orange added to their lead in the sixth with another long ball courtesy of Drew Gilbert, who hammered the first pitch he saw through the wind into the Gator bullpen to put the Vols ahead 3-0. Jordan Beck scored on the play after singling up the middle one batter earlier.
The Vols were held to just one hit by UF’s bullpen over the final three innings, but didn’t need any more insurance thanks to the strong pitching effort from Tidwell and Sewell, paired with some stellar defense.
Tennessee look to record its eighth sweep of the season in Sunday’s series finale. First pitch is set for noon ET and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+ / ESPN app.
NOTABLE
TIDWELL SHARP IN FIRST SEC START: Sophomore right-hander Blade Tidwell earned his first win of the season after tossing 4.2 scoreless innings on Saturday evening. The Loretto, Tennessee, native, struck out five and gave up just two singles and one walk in his longest outing of the year.
Tidwell was credited with the win despite not pitching five complete innings since he was on a pitch count, and it was deemed a controlled start prior to the game starting.
GATOR KILLER: Vols’ senior right hander Camden Sewell has carved up the Gators throughout his Tennessee career. In four appearances against Florida, the Cleveland, Tennessee, native, is 1-0 with two saves and has allowed just five hits and one earned run in 14.1 innings pitched. In that span he has 11 strikeouts and has issued only two walks.
In his last outing against UF prior to Saturday night’s contest, Sewell tossed six shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six to lead the Vols to a win in the 2021 SEC Tournament semifinals.
#ROADVOLS: With Saturday’s win, UT recorded its 10th consecutive road series win, with nine of those coming in SEC play. The Vols have not lost a road series since 2019.
-UT Athletics
