BaseVols complete season-opening and home-opener sweep of Albany with 12-0 shutout

Vitello shakes up the lineup and it pays dividends

After scoring 21 runs, the last thing most managers would do would be change his or her lineup. But, it being the last game of a series that hasn’t been all that close, Tony Vitello took the opportunity to make some changes and give some guys the day off.

The changes worked, or at least didn’t hurt, as UT won 12-0 and tossed a combined, seven-inning, one hit shutout.

From the bottom up: Stark started at catcher, giving Peebles a day off from defense as the team’s DH. Dean Curly started at short, and Brandon Lohry later pinch ran for him, moving Christian Moore to second and then short once Lohry entered. Dalton Bargo and Robin Villenueve started in left and right field for Dylan Dreiling and Kavares Tears, respectively. While Dreiling got a day of rest, Tears just slid to the middle outfield spot to spell Hunter Ensley.

Tennessee once again went with a bullpen day from the pitchers, with Zander Zechrist starting and pitching 2 innings of 1 H ball, with no runs, no walks and two Ks. Sechrist got some help from his middle-infield defense to get out of a jam in the first:

Then he did most of the work himself in the second by K’ing two of the three batters he faced.

In between Zander’s work, Christian Moore walked, got to second on a balk, then to third on a wild pitch. Blake Burke walked, and Billy Amick singled Moore home for the first run of the game.

A HBP, a fielder’s choice and a walk later, Dalton Bargo scored two runs with a single to right. Unfortunately, Bargo got thrown out at second trying to leg out the double, but the damage was done: three runs on one hit and the first lead of the game for Tennessee.

While UT’s staff kept Albany scoreless through six, the offense added one run each in the third, fourth and fifth innings thanks to a Tears’ run-scoring single in the third…

A Moore single in the fourth and a Robin Villeneuve home run in the fifth:

That made for two dingers in two days for the Vols’ transfer from Weatherford Community College.

UT had its big inning in the sixth that included a run-scoring single from Blake Burke, a Tears’ walk that compounded with a wild pitch to score Moore and a two-run double from Villeneuve.

A full-count, pinch-hit walk from Ensley loaded the bases, and a Lohry walk plated Peebles, and another full-count walk by Alex Perry scored Villeneuve for the sixth and final run of the half inning. Vols led 12-0 after six with two-hit, six run half frame.

With the run rule in effect, the top of the seventh was Albany’s last chance, and the Vols’ staff allowed a walk, no hits and no runs.

Sechrist, and Nate Snead combined for 4.2 IP, with Snead giving up 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB while he struck out three of the eight batters he faced and got ground-ball for four more outs.

Kirby Connell made his first appearance of the season, faced his left-handed batter, got him out and left the game. Andrew Behnke and Derek Schaefer finished the game, each pitching an inning and neither giving up a hit. Behnke struck out two, Schaefer one, and the staff combined for a one-out shut out with 9 Ks and 1 BB,

Tennessee doesn’t play a midweek game next week after playing two this week and isn’t back in action until it faces High Point at LNS at 4:30 next Friday,