KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After dropping game two on Saturday, the Vols wasted no time responding to the Tigers.
Tennessee defeated Auburn in game three Sunday, 5-3, to clinch its seventh SEC series win.
The Vols scored three runs in the first inning. Trey Lipscomb hit a two-run homer to right-center-field to give Tennessee a 3-0 lead after the first inning. It was Lipscomb's SEC-leading 18th home run of the season.
Auburn would answer back in the fifth and sixth inning, scoring three runs.
Tennessee turned to its bullpen for right-handed pitcher, Ben Joyce.
Joyce pitched a flawless game, going 4.0 innings pitched, giving up just one hit while striking out six batters.
Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said postgame that one of Joyce's pitches clocked in at 105 mph. One of Tennessee's radar guns in the dugout had Joyce's pitch clocked at 105.5mph. That is the fastest known pitch in college baseball history.
According to UT, that speed would be the second-fastest recorded pitch in Major League Baseball, just 0.3 mph behind Aroldis Chapman, who threw a 105.8 mph pitch as a Cincinnati Red against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 24, 2010.
Jordan Beck hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning that lifted the top-ranked Volunteers over the Tigers.
The Vols have now won every SEC series this season and became just the second SEC team since 1992 to reach 40 wins in 44 games.
Up Next: Tennessee faces Alabama A&M on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
