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SCORE: Tennessee 8, Texas A&M 7 | FINAL
Tennessee baseball is set to take on the Texas A&M Aggies for game two of a three-game series Saturday at 12 p.m. ET in Knoxville.
ESPN2 will have the broadcast. This game serves as the first televised Tennessee baseball game since the second game of the season (Grand Canyon–MLB Network).
Tennessee rolled the Aggies in game one thanks to an offensive onslaught in the first two innings. The Vols plated five in the first and two in the second to take a 7-3 lead heading into the third inning and never looked back. Chase Dollander had a solid outing overall despite a rocky start and got his fourth win on the season.
See all of Rocky Top Insider’s coverage from Tennessee’s series-opening win below.
Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below.
Starting Lineups
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
SS Maui Ahuna
2B Christian Moore
1B Blake Burke
CF Hunter Ensley
RF Jared Dickey
DH Cal Stark
3B Zane Denton
LF Griffin Merritt
C Charlie Taylor
Lineup Notes:
–Zane Denton not batting cleanup for just the second time this season. Ensley gets his third SEC start and will bat cleanup for the first time in his career.
–Griffin Merritt also moved down the lineup. Cal Stark gets the nod at DH and will bat sixth.
–Charlie Taylor starting at catcher again for the first time this week.
TEXAS A&M STARTING NINE:
RF Kasen Wells
SS Hunter Haas
DH Jack Moss
2B Austin Bost
LF Jace LaViolette
3B Trevor Werner
1B Ryan Targac
C Hank Bard
CF Tab Tracy
Pitching Matchup
Vols So. RHP Chase Burns (2-1, 3.41 ERA, 5 app., 5 starts, 29.0 IP, 21 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 7 BB, 51 K, .196 opp. batting avg., 1 HP)
vs.
Aggies So. LHP Troy Wansing (2-1, 2.42 ERA, 5 app., 5 starts, 22.1 IP, 17 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 12 BB, 37 K, .210 opp. batting avg., 3 HP)
Uniforms
Tennessee: Orange tops white bottoms
Texas A&M: Maroon tops grey bottoms
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Kasen Wells singles to p. Burns barely got beat by the runner to the base.
-Hunter Haas strikes out swinging.
-Wells steals second.
-Jack Moss homers to left center for a two-run shot.
-Austin Bost strikes out swinging.
-Jace LaViolette strikes out swinging.
End of Top Half.
B1
-Maui Ahuna is hit by the first pitch of the at-bat.
-Christian Moore singles up the middle.
-Blake Burke rips an RBI single up the middle. Ahuna scores and Moore advances to third.
-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.
-Jared Dickey grounds into a 5-6-3 double play.
End of Bottom Half.
Score: Vols 1, Aggies 2
2nd Inning:
T2
-Trevor Werner strikes out swinging.
-Ryan Targac flies out to RF. Wind killed it.
-Hank Bard knocks a single to shallow RF.
-Tab Tracy strikes out swinging.
End of Top Half.
B2
-Cal Stark singles to left field.
-Zane Denton strikes out looking.
-Throwing error on A&M catcher Hank Bard allows Stark to reach second base.
-Griffin Merritt is walked on a full count.
-Charlie Taylor is walked on four pitches.
-Maui Ahuna cranks a two-run double to left center.
*Pitching change: Jr. LHP Evan Aschenbeck (2-0, 4.41 ERA) on to pitch for Wansing*
-Christian Moore sends a sac fly to the warning track in RF. Taylor scores.
-Blake Burke flies out to RF.
End of Bottom Half.
Score: Vols 4, Aggies 2
3rd Inning:
T3
-Kasen Wells strikes out swinging on three pitches.
-Hunter Haas flies out to RF.
-Jack Moss lines out to LF.
End of Top Half.
B3
-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.
-Jared Dickey singles to right field.
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
-Zane Denton fouls out to 1B.
End of Bottom Half.
Score: Vols 4, Aggies 2
4th Inning:
T4
-Austin Bost lines out to RF.
-Jace LaViolette grounds out to first 1b to p.
-Trevor Werner strikes out swinging.
End of Top Half.
B4
-Griffin Merritt strikes out looking.
-Charlie Taylor pops up to 2B in shallow RF.
-Maui Ahuna is walked.
-Christian Moore lines out to CF.
End of Bottom Half.
Score: Vols 4, Aggies 2
5th Inning:
T5
-Ryan Targac flies out to CF.
-Hank Bard grounds out to SS.
-Tab Tracy strikes out swinging.
End of Top Half.
B5
-Blake Burke fouls out to catcher.
-Hunter Ensley grounds out to SS.
-Jared Dickey singles through the left side.
-Cal Stark strikes out looking.
End of Bottom Half.
Score: Vols 4, Aggies 2
6th Inning:
T6
-Kasen Wells lines out to CF.
-Hunter Haas lines out to RF.
-Jack Moss singles through the right side. Breaks Burns’ streak of retiring 12 straight.
-Austin Bost doubles deep into left field. Runners on second and third for TAMU.
-Jace LaViolette knocks a two-run double down the LF line. Big two-out rally here for the Aggies in the sixth.
-LaViolette steals third
-Trevor Werner is walked.
-Werner steals second.
-Ryan Targac is walked.
*Pitching change: Sr. LHP Kirby Connell (1-0, 2.84 ERA) on to pitch in a big moment*
*Freshman catcher Max Kaufer, who is 1-13 on the season at the plate, is pinch-hitting for Hank Bard*
-Connell walks Kaufer to bring in a run.
-Pinch-hitter Jordan Thompson reaches on a fielding error by Zane Denton. The error brings in a run.
-Pinch-hitter Stanley Tucker grounds out to 3B.
End of Top Half.
B6
-Zane Denton works a leadoff walk.
*Jake Kendro pinch-running for Denton*
*Pitching change: So. RHP Brad Rudis (3-0, 1.69 ERA) on to pitch for Aschenbeck*
-Griffin Merritt strikes out looking.
-Charlie Taylor grounds into a 6-4-3 double play.
End of Bottom Half.
Score: Vols 4, Aggies 6
7th Inning:
T7
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Zach Joyce (0-0, 1.12 ERA) on to pitch for Connell*
*Kendro to 3B for Denton*
-Hunter Haas singles through the right side.
-Haas advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Jack Moss hits an RBI double to RF. Haas comes home.
*Pitching change: RHP Andrew Lindsey (0-1, 2.13 ERA) on to pitch for Joyce*
-Austin Bost strikes out looking.
-Lindsey strikes out Jace LaViolette.
-Trevor Werner strikes out swinging.
End of Top Half.
B7
-Maui Ahuna flies out to RF.
-Christian Moore singles up the middle.
-Blake Burke grounds out to 1b unassisted. Burke almost beat him on the slide but was tagged on the back of the neck. Moore advances to second.
-Moore advances to third on a wild pitch.
-Hunter Ensley delivers an RBI single to left field to score Moore.
-Jared Dickey smokes an RBI triple to RF to score Ensley. Wind killed the ball. Outfielder went all the way to the warning track then had to backtrack and dove for it but came up short.
*Pitching change: Jr. LHP Will Johnston (2-0, 3.55 ERA) on to pitch for Rudis*
*Dylan Dreiling pinch-hitting for Cal Stark*
-Jared Dickey scores on a wild pitch. Dylan Dreiling is walked.
-Jake Kendro strikes out looking.
End of Bottom Half.
Score: Vols 7, Aggies 7
8th Inning:
T8
-Ryan Targac grounds out to 1b unassisted.
-Max Kaufer grounds out to 3B.
-Jordan Thompson is HBP. Vitello arguing Thompson turned in to get hit.
-Stanley Tucker strikes out swinging.
End of Top Half.
B8
-Griffin Merritt grounds out to p.
-Charlie Taylor is walked on four pitches.. Christian Scott pinch-running for Taylor.
-Maui Ahuna reaches on a fielder’s choice. Scott out at second 5-6. Texas A&M challenging that it’s an illegal slide by Scott. Call is confirmed. No interference.
-Ahuna caught stealing and is picked off 1-3-6.
End of Bottom Half.
Score: Vols 7, Aggies 7
9th Inning:
T9
*Dickey to c for Taylor*
*Scott to RF for Dickey*
-Hunter Haas is walked.
-Jack Moss pops up to SS in shallow left field. Ahuna did a great job of keeping up with the ball that kept sailing left due to the wind.
*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Camden Sewell (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Lindsey*
-Austin Bost grounds into a 5-4-3 double play.
End of Top Half.
B9
-Christian Moore works a leadoff walk.
-Moore advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Blake Burke grounds out to 1b unassisted. Winning run at third now.
-Hunter Ensley is intentionally walked.
-A&M has a mound meeting. A&M then puts a new catcher (JD Gregson) in.
-Jared Dickey sends a sac fly to RF and the Vols walk it off to clinch the series.
Score: Vols 8, Aggies 7
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 8, Texas A&M Aggies 7
