Vols bounce back from Alabama series loss with 10-2 midweek win again Xavier

Pitching staff gives up four hits and two runs in the win

Zander Sechrist started and tossed three innings of 0 H, 0 R ball, and Blake Burke hit the Vols only home run in Tuesday’s 10-2 win against Xavier.

Tennessee used seven pitches to get through the game, with Sechrist’s start setting the tone for the rest of the contest. Freshman Dylan Loy and RS-FR Brady Robertson were the only two UT pitchers to concede runs, both in the fourth and fifth innings after Sechrist left the game.

Vitello subbed out Robertson for Kirby Connell in the fifth, and Connell proceeded to pitch 2.1 innings and gave up one hit, no runs, no walks while striking out two of the eight hitters he faced.

Tennessee scored in bunches — two in the B1 off Burke’s eighth home run of the season after Christian Moore worked a lead-off walk:

Burke now sits just one HR short of Billy Amick’s team-leading nine and continues to make up for his slow start to the year.

The Vols put up zeroes in the second and third frames, but busted out three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Two consecutive singles from Cannon Peebles and Dean Curley to lead off the inning, and a wild pitch from Xavier that advanced Peebles to third set up a sac-fly chance that Reese Chapman cashed in on.

Curley got caught in a rundown on a Charlie Taylor fielder’s choice, but Xavier botched the play at home and Curley scored.

Taylor made his way all the way to third, and Moore brought him home on an infield hit to shortstop. Tennessee scored three on two hits thanks to some help from the Musketeers.

The bats stayed quiet again until the seventh and eighth, when they brought home five more combined runs.

Billy Amick got hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh, and Kavares Tears flew out for the second out of the half inning. Dylan Dreiling brought Amick home with a double on an 0-2 pitch and made it to third while Xavier tried to get Amick out at home.

Two-straight walks from Peebles and Curley loaded the bases and led to a Reese Chapman walk that scored Dreiling. Hunter Ensley struck out to end the inning with the bases loaded, but the Vols still added two runs on just one hit.

In the eighth, Burke drew a one-out walk followed by a wild pitch that sent him into scoring position. Two more walks from Tears and Colby Backus loaded the bases, and Peebles cleared the bases with another Tennessee double that was misplayed by the Xavier outfielder.

Again — multiple runs (3) on just one hit, and the Vols held a 10-2 lead that would remain through the end of the game.

Marcus Phillips, Chris Stamos and Matthew Dallas combined to finish out the final two innings and gave up no hits, no runs and just one walk.

Blake Burke’s home run was his 38th of his career and put him just two dingers shy of tying the program record.

The Vols play again Friday at LNS as Tennessee welcomes Ole Miss to town for the second SEC series of the season with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 PM EST.