The Tennessee Volunteers are in the driver’s seat in the Knoxville regional. The Vols knocked off the Cincinnati Bearcats 10-6 on Saturday night to advance to the regional final.
Marcus Phillips was sharp for Tennessee, allowing 3 ER in 6+ innings with 8 strikeouts. He also did what many believed he couldn’t do coming in – keep the speedy Bearcats from swiping bases. He picked off a runner in the fifth and didn’t allow a steal, a truly remarkable feat.
Gavin Kilen led the Vols at the plate with 4 hits in 6 ABs. Dean Curley led all hitters with 4 RBIs on the evening.
Tennessee jumped out to a lead they would not relinquish in the top of the first inning. Curley drove in two with a single in the first, and he’d push the lead to 3-0 with a home run to left in the third inning.
Leading 4-2 in the sixth, the Vols opened up a very comfortable lead. Andrew Fischer split the gap in right center to plate two runs. Curley added RBI #4 with a bases loaded walk. Then Reese Chapman got one deep enough in right field to plate another with a sac fly. At 8-2, that would be enough for the Vols.
Down 10-4 in the ninth, Cincy got to within 10-6 with the tying run in the on-deck circle, but Tony Vitello went from AJ Russell to Brandon Arvidson, who got the Cincy pinch hitter to whiff on a breaking ball in the dirt to end it.
Next up: Tennessee will take on the winner of the Wake Forest-Cincinnati rematch tomorrow. The Demon Deacons and Bearcats will face off at noon, with the winner taking on the Vols at 6 pm ET.