Vols cruise past Belmont in final midweek game, 10-0

Another midweek run-rule win

Tennessee’s offense put up three multi-run innings, including the sixth when it hit three home runs, and Tony Vitello used five different pitchers in the Vols’ 10-0, run-rule victory over Belmont in the final midweek game of the season.

The bats put their mark on the game early, throwing up a five spot in the bottom of the first. Christian Moore reached on an error just five pitches into the game, and Billy Amick doubled him home one out later.

Kavares Tears singled, Dylan Dreiling drew a full-count walk and Hunter Ensley smoked a ball off the wall into a gap in left center that cleared the bases.

The final run of the inning came on Belmont’s second error of the first frame, when Dean Curley reached first on a throwing error from the third baseman that brought Ensley home.

Dylan Loy started and allowed a single and a walk in the first inning but didn’t let a run across, and then faced the minimum three batters in the second, despite an error from Curley during the first at bat of the half inning. Loy induced a double-play ball from the second hitter and struck out the third man to end the frame.

The freshman from Pigeon Forge pitched into the third, as he struck out the first batter he faced but gave up a single to the next man up. Vitello left him in to get one more out — a fly-out to right — before replacing Loy with JJ Garcia. After the man on first stole second and third, Garcia got the final out on a full-count ground ball, thanks in part to a strong play deep in the hole at short by Curley.

Dreiling led the bottom of the third off with a double on an 0-2 count, and two consecutive walks later, Cannon Peebles plated a run with a sac fly to left. Colby Backus notched his first RBI of the night two pitches later when he singled to right and plated Dreiling. Tennessee ended up stranding two runners, but after three innings, it was a 7-0 game.

The offense popped off again in the sixth, when Backus and Christian Moore started the bottom half with back-to-back home runs. Backus took the first pitch he saw over the fence in right field 357 feet:

Then Moore’s 24th home run of the season towered out of the park as it tied the Tennessee baseball single-season record, traveled 351 feet and left his bat at 101 MPH:

With two outs, Reese Chapman hit the third and final home run of the inning and the game, while also putting Tennessee at the 10-run lead mark and in position for the run-rule win. The sophomore’s fifth home run of the year was also a solo shot and went 356 feet with a 31-degree launch angle.

JJ Garcia ended up with the win, his third of the year, by tossing 1.1 innings, walking one and striking one batter out.

Freshman lefty Matthew Dallas looked good in his one inning when he struck out three and allowed just one hit. Marcus Phillips hit at least 98 MPH on the radar gun, according to the broadcast, and struck out two in his one inning.

The Vols start their final weekend series of the regular season Thursday when South Carolina travels to Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM EST.