HOOVER, Ala. — Tennessee baseball won the SEC Tournament Championship on Sunday 8-5 over Florida.
The Vols won their first SEC Tournament title in the current format after falling short in the championship last year to Arkansas.
It was a scoreless game going into the fifth inning. That's where Tennessee started doing some damage.
Left fielder Seth Stephenson brought in the first run with an RBI bunt single to bring home catcher Evan Russell. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, center fielder Drew Gilbert hit a bases-clearing double to bring in three more runs. Tennessee took control leading 4-0.
Stephenson brought in the second baseman Jorel Ortega for another run in the sixth inning with a double to make it 5-0. First baseman Luc Lipcius doubled moments later to bring in two more runs to extend the lead to 7-0.
Florida scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth off a first baseman BT Riopelle home run. Shortstop Josh Riviera brought in another run to make it 7-3 off an RBI single.
Gilbert added another run for the Vols in the top of the ninth inning with a solo home run to make it 8-3, which was the exclamation mark with quite the bat flip. The Gators did score two more runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Gilbert was named SEC Tournament MVP. Pitcher Chase Dollander and third baseman Trey Lipscomb were named to the All-SEC Tournament team with Gilbert.
The Vols previously won SEC Tournament titles in the prior format in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
