ARLINGTON, TX – Tennessee Baseball’s Sunday night win over Baylor in Globe Life Field was the game for you if you like offense. The Vols scored 11 runs in an 11-5 victory to finish 2-1 in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown on opening weekend.
Tennessee’s bats were scorching hot for a vast majority of the game, but especially early, as the Big Orange scored eight of their 11 runs in the first four innings. Tennessee finished with 12 hits, including three extra-base hits and two home runs.
While Tennessee’s pitching was a weakness early on, Nate Snead was able to turn in an impressive extended relief outing that allowed the Vols to pull away and earn a stress-free win.
Here’s three takeaways from Tennessee’s second win of the 2024 season:
Offense Aplenty
Baylor began the scoring in the first inning as Zander Sechrist struggled in his first career weekend start. The Bears scored two runs in the opening frame thanks to an RBI double and RBI fielder’s choice.
Tennessee answered in the top of the second inning when Kavares Tears mashed a three-run opposite-field home run to give the Vols a 3-2 lead. It marked Tears’ first home run of the season and third of his two-year career.
“I just went up there hunting first pitch fastball,” Tears said about his home run. “I know earlier in the week I had a little problem pulling off a little bit so I just tried to make sure that my approach today was to just stay through the ball, kind of hunt left-center field.”
Sechrist stayed on the mound in the second after a rocky 27-pitch first inning, giving up a two-out solo homer that allowed Baylor to tie the game.
After Baylor’s Harrison Caley left the yard in the bottom of the second, Tennessee kept their foot on the gas in the third. Christian Moore drew a walk and Dalton Bargo singled with one out before third baseman Billy Amick drove both runners in with a two-run triple off the left field wall.
Amick didn’t stay on the base-paths long, as Cannon Peebles brought him home with a sac fly to center field.
Offense continued in the fourth, when Baylor’s Ty Johnson smoked a two-run triple to cut Tennessee’s lead to one. But yet again, the Vols quickly answered as Christian Moore hit a two-run double to give Tennessee an 8-5 lead.
Amick’s hot day at the plate continued in the fifth, when he smashed a leadoff solo homer 430-feet into the second deck of Globe Life Field.
Tennessee scored their final two runs in the sixth and seventh innings thanks to an Amick ground ball that scored Moore from third in the sixth and an RBI single from Dylan Dreiling in the seventh.
While Tennessee’s offense kept rolling, the Vols’ pitching steadied and shut down Baylor’s offense for the rest of the game, allowing the Big Orange to pull away.
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Snead Settles to Provide Solid Extended Relief Outing
Sechrist’s day was done after two innings as Wichita State transfer RHP Nate Snead took over the mound to start the third. Sechrist gave up four hits, a walk and allowed three runs in his 2024 debut.
Snead was shaky in his first inning, allowing three walks and a two-run triple, but the sophomore settled in for the remainder of his outing. Across the next three innings, Snead faced 10 batters and gave up just two hits and no runs.
In the seventh, which was Snead’s final inning, the flame-throwing right-hander worked out of a jam with a double play and a strikeout to strand runners on the corners.
Snead’s day ended at 85 pitches as Cal transfer LHP Chris Stamos relieved him to begin the eighth inning and dealt two scoreless innings of relief to close out the game.
Snead finished with four hits, five walks and two runs allowed along with four strikeouts against 22 batters in his Tennessee debut.
“He did what you do,” Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello said about Snead’s performance. “The message I got was, ‘You should’ve put me in the game last night.’ And that’s what you do as a young athlete. You control what you can control, and when you get your opportunity, you put your best foot forward.”
Amick, Moore Close Out Strong Weekends With Big Days
Clemson transfer third baseman Billy Amick and junior shortstop Christian Moore each had big performances on Sunday to close out a solid weekend at the plate.
Amick went 2-4 at the plate with three RBI, a home run and a triple. If it weren’t for Amick grounding into a double play when Moore scored in the sixth, he would’ve had four RBI.
While Amick had a down day on Saturday in which he went 0-5, the junior proved he is only of the best hitters on the team in opening weekend.
In total, Amick went 4-13 at the plate with two home runs, five RBI, a triple, two walks and four runs scored.
“I call him ‘Billy Barrels,'” Moore said when talking about Amick. “He’s going to do what he does best and that’s hit. I’m super excited to have him here – right in the middle of the order, where we need him.”
Moore was Tennessee’s most consistent hitter on opening weekend, going 6-13 with 2 RBI, three doubles, three walks and two runs scored.
While batting averages on the weekend haven’t been made final, Moore was the only Vol to start all three games and hit above .400 in Arlington.
“He just wanted to come out and have a good weekend. He knows he’s not hiding anymore,” Vitello said about Moore. “He’s a junior. Like a few other guys — Billy (Amick) included — this is his team and I think he’s taken pride in everything he’s doing out there. Had a really good weekend all around.”
Tennessee will be back in action Tuesday against UNC Asheville at 4:30 p.m. ET in Lindsey Nelson Stadium for the 2024 home opener.
