KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– Tennessee Baseball (16-6) breezed past Western Carolina (9-12) in a 7-0 midweek shutout Tuesday night in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Tennessee’s offensive output was highlighted by a four-run fourth inning and a run in the second, fifth and sixth innings.
Head coach Tony Vitello opted to roll with a vastly different lineup than normal against the Catamounts, giving infielders Jake Kendro and Ethan Payne their first career starts and Austen Jaslove his first start at shortstop since Maui Ahuna’s season debut.
All of Tennessee’s usual starters ended up seeing time later in the game, though, and Tennessee used a multitude of bullpen arms in the victory.
Here’s four quick hitters from Tennessee’s sixth shutout of the season.
Christian Scott Gives Vols Early Lead
Seven-hole hitter Christian Scott got Tennessee on the board first in the second inning by smashing a solo home run to right field.
Scott’s 403-foot home run served as Tennessee’s first hit of the night and his second long ball of the season.
Scott’s home run was the highlight of an overall productive night for the Clarksville, Tennessee, native, as Scott went 1-1 at the plate with a HR, two walks and three runs scored.
The fifth-year senior has also now recorded a hit in four of his seven starts this season.
Vols Plate Four in the Fourth
Tennessee’s bats got going in the fourth inning as the Vols posted a four-spot to take a 5-0 lead.
Cal Stark got the scoring going with a one-out solo home run to the lower-level left-field porches.
After Stark, the next three batters all got on base for the Vols. Kavares Tears worked a walk, and pinch-runner Christian Moore was brought home thanks to a Jake Kendro RBI single. After Christian Scott was walked, Austen Jaslove brought Kendro home with an RBI double to the left center.
Jaslove and Kendro each made the most of their uncommon starts, as they were responsible for two of Tennessee’s seven runs on the evening.
Tennessee’s fourth run of the fourth inning came via a balk.
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Subs Do Damage
Christian Moore made an instant impact in his first at-bat in the fifth inning. The sophomore roped an RBI double off the right-center wall to score Dylan Dreiling, who got aboard with a leadoff single.
Tennessee’s offense added their seventh run of the evening in the sixth, as pinch-hitter Ryan Miller drove in a run with a hard-hit single to right field.
Miller is now 3-6 at the plate on the season with four RBI, a home run and a double, as the redshirt freshman continues to make the most of his limited opportunities.
Bullpen Game
Tennessee used many pitchers out of the bullpen behind starter Zander Sechrist in the shutout.
Sechrist turned in another solid midweek start in 3.2 innings of work. The junior allowed no runs and just three hits while striking out four.
Aaron Combs was the first out of the bullpen. Outside of a hit-by-pitch, the sophomore did not allow a baserunner in 1.1 innings of work and got the win, his third of the season.
Kirby Connell and AJ Russell each took the mound in the sixth and combined to record a 1-2-3 inning.
Jake Fitzgibbons was the most impressive out of the pen for the Vols, striking out the side in order in the seventh.
Hollis Fanning, Jacob Bimbi and Andrew Lindsey then closed out the game in the eighth and ninth innings. Fanning and Bimbi each allowed a baseunner, but Bimbi delivered a strikeout to strand a pair in the eighth.
Finally, Lindsey finished the game in the ninth, striking out the side around a leadoff walk.
Up Next
Tennessee hosts their first home SEC series of the season this Friday through Sunday in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols will look to get their first conference win of the season on Friday, as Tennessee was swept by Missouri to begin SEC play.
First pitch for the series opener between the Vols and Aggies is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
