Vols’ offense explodes for 21 runs in game-two win against Albany

While Tennessee’s offense managed hits in the second and third inning, today it was freshman shortstop Dean Curly’s fourth-inning, three-run home run that helped Tennessee pull away from Albany for an eventual ———

While the offense was struggling to plate runs, Drew Beam looked like the preseason All-American candidate he is, giving up on run in the first after a single, a subsequent double and a sacrifice grounder back to Beam that let the runner at third make it home.

But after that, Beam was dazzling. He struck out the next two batters on six pitches to end the half inning:

In the second, he forced two ground-ball outs and a strikeout before running into a bit of a jam in the third. Two-straight singles put him in perfect position for another groundball, and his defense turned two — with a great stretch by Burke to complete the play… he’s really improved his dexterity and it’s translated a higher quality defensive player.

A Dyland Dreiling walk followed by a Billy Amick single amounted to nothing in the bottom-half of the third, but then Beam mowed down three Albany hitters in just seven pitches to start the fourth.

Robin Villeneuve got hit by a pitch, Blake Burke continued his resurgence with a double he lasered to right before Curly took a 2-1 pitch deep for a three-run blast.

According to the Vols’ Baseball Twitter account, Curly’s HR traveled 400 feet and left his bat at 102 MPH.

Tennessee continued its fourth with six more runs: a Dalton Bargo single followed by back-to-back walks from Christian Moore and Dreiling set the table for an Amick bases-clearing double, during which he advanced to third on the throw from the outfield.

Kavares Tears brought Amick home with a sac fly, Cannon Peebles walked and Villenueve made the most of his second at bat of the half frame with a two-run shot to the deepest part of the park. The official numbers on the home run: 448 feet and 108 MPH off the barrel.

Villeneuve and Curly are both making their case for more playing time: Prior to today — Villeneuve was hitting .500 in six ABs while Curly’s average was .667.

Beam allowed Albany’s second run in the of the fifth after hitting a batter with two outs that turned into two-straight singles, the second of which plated the run.

The bottom of the fifth brought on more UT runs, and it started with a Bargo double followed by a Moore single that put the Mizzou transfer 90 feet from home.

Kavares Tears went deep for his third time in the first five games — just like Curly, Tears decided to show off the muscle and go for the deepest part of the park in dead center.

The three-run, mammoth shot tied Tears with Amick for the team-lead in home runs with three. He’s also still sitting at second on the team in batting average, even though his 1-3 day so far actually brought down his average by four points to .381.

Vitello brought out Aaron Combs for the sixth, and the junior righty used eight pitches to sit the Albany batters down in order. Beam finished his day going 5 IP, allowing 6 H but just 2 R and no walks. He struck out four, induced seven ground-ball outs and hit 53 of hit 71 pitches for strikes.

Dalton Bargo wasn’t to be left out — after a lead-off double from Burke, and a Reese Chapman pinch-run substitution, Bargo took an 0-1 pith deep to left for his first home run as a Vol to stretch UT’s lead out to 15-2. Two walks, a passed ball and another walk laid the ground work for Peebles’ first hit of the day, a three-run, bases-clearing double to left-center field.

The inning ended mercifully on a Chapman strikeout — his second in four at bats. The highly-recruited freshman, now a sophomore, is a player many were looking for a breakout season this year. It’s a long season, and Chapman is supremely talented, so let’s hope he comes around at some point, at least to some extent. Overall, UT plated five runs on three hits and took advantage of four walks and a passed ball.

Dylan Loy came out in the seventh for Combs and struck out two batters while allowing a base hit in the middle of the two Ks. Loy hasn’t allowed a run in either of his two appearances, while striking out four in seven at bats.

The bats went down easily in the B7, needing just five pitches for the four batters who made it to the plate. Albany, however, added a run after a lead-off double and a wild pitch that followed off new UT arm, freshman lefty and Tennessee native Luke Payne. Payne worked around two walks and a wild pitch by striking out the final batter of the top of the eighth.

Naturally, Chapman made me look silly in the B8 with this first hit of the year — a three—run double to right. My comment was a reverse jinx, of course!

Vols led 21-3 after eight innings, and Vitello brought JJ Garcia in to finish the game. Garcia gave up three quick runs on a double, a single and a home run. Mercifully, more than three hours after the game started, Garcia ended things with two Ks around another single.

Tennessee ended with 15 hits and 21 runs, with no defensive errors. Seven batters had two or more RBIs in the Vols’ season-high scoring game.

UT finishes the series tomorrow at 1 PM.