SCORE: Vols 3, UNC Asheville 2 | FINAL
Ninth-ranked Tennessee baseball (2-1) is set to host the UNC Asheville Bulldogs (0-3) inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium Tuesday evening in a midweek contest. First pitch is at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The matchup with the Bulldogs is Tennessee’s 2024 home opener in the newly renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium. SEC Network + has the stream.
The Vols faced UNC Asheville in March 2023 and beat the Bulldogs 5-0 in a midweek game. Tennessee is 31-7 all-time against UNC Asheville and has won nine straight dating back to 2015.
Tennessee went 2-1 in opening weekend in Arlington as part of the Shriners Children’s College Showdown. The Vols beat Texas Tech, 6-2, on Friday and Baylor, 11-5, on Sunday but lost to Oklahoma, 5-1, on Saturday in 10 innings.
UNC Asheville lost their season-opening series to Georgia, getting outscored 38-7 on the weekend.
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Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below.
Starting Lineups
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
LF Dylan Dreiling (L)
SS Christian Moore (R)
RF Kavares Tears (L)
3B Billy Amick (R)
1B Blake Burke (L)
DH Robin Villenueve (R)
2B Ethan Payne (L)
C Charlie Taylor (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Payne gets his first start of the season, starting at second base over Bradke Lohry, who started all three games on opening weekend.
- Charlie Taylor gets the start at catcher for the midweek, per usual.
- Villenueve slots in as the DH after starting one game on opening weekend.
- Tears moves up in the order and is batting cleanup for the first time this season.
UNC ASHEVILLE STARTING NINE:
SS Kohl Abrams
CF Robbie Burnett
RF Dylan Bacot
LF Corbin Lanowitz
3B Cameron Johnson
P Michael Groves
2B Ty Kaufman
C Brock Mercado
1B Ben Hemphill
Pitching Matchup
Vols Fr. RHP Derek Schaefer (0-0, 27.00 ERA, 1 app., 0 starts, 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, .667 opp. batting avg.)
vs.
Bulldogs Sr. RHP Michael Groves (no 2024 stats)
Uniforms
Tennessee: Orange tops, white bottoms.
UNC Asheville: Black tops, white bottoms
*NOTE* – Official attendance: 4,699. Largest attendance for a home opener in LNS history.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Kohl Abrams is walked on a full count.
-Robbie Burnett singles through the right side. Abrams advances to second.
-Dylan Bacot strikes out swinging on three pitches.
-Corbin Lanowitz flies out to deep RF. Abrams advances to third.
-Cameron Johnson smacks an RBI single into right center field to score Abrams. Burnett rounds second and tried to get to third but was thrown out by Tears as Amick got the tag down. Not a great first inning for Schaefer on the mound as his struggles from the weekend continue.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Hunter Ensley flies out to RF.
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out looking on three pitches.
-Christian Moore flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Bulldogs 1
2nd Inning:
T2
-Michael Groves grounds out to 1B unassisted.
-Ty Kaufman flies out to RF.
-Brock Mercado flies out to RF.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Kavares Tears smokes a leadoff opposite field home run to left field. His second HR of the season. Tie game. 100 mph off the bat, 367-feet.
-Billy Amick flies out to CF.
-Blake Burke doubles into right field. UNC Asheville right fielder was in a terrible position as the ball went to the back wall.
-Robin Villenueve flies out to LF.
-Burke advances to third on a wild pitch.
-Ethan Payne pops up to 2B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 1, Bulldogs 1
3rd Inning:
T3
-Ben Hemphill strikes out looking.
-Kohl Abrams flies out to right center.
-Robbie Burnett strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HAKF
B3
*Pitching change: Jr. LHP Sam Thompson on to pitch for Groves*
*Groves moves to DH*
-Charlie Taylor flies out to LF.
-Hunter Ensley grounds out to SS.
-Dylan Dreiling singles to center field.
-Dreiling advances all the way to third on a throwing error by the pitcher, failed pickoff attempt. Ball went past the first baseman and into foul territory in right field.
-Christian Moore brings him home with an RBI single through the left side.
-Kavares Tears reaches first on a fielding error by the third baseman. Moore advances to second.
-Runners advance on a wild pitch.
-Billy Amick reaches on a fielder’s choice as Tears is out at second due to interference to end the inning. The ball hit off of Tears’ leg as he was running to third. Would have been a two-run single if it had gotten through the traffic.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 1
4th Inning:
T4
*Pitching change: So. LHP Andrew Behnke on to pitch for Schaefer*
Derek Schaefer Final Line: 3.0 IP, 2H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 46 pitches (32 strikes) against 11 batters.
-Dylan Bacot strikes out swinging.
-Corbin Lanowitz strikes out swinging.
-Cameron Johnson drives a single into left field.
-Michael Groves flies out to LF.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
*Pitching change: Fr. RHP Jacob Strmiska on to pitch for Thompson*
-Blake Burke flies out to LF.
-Robin Villenueve grounds out to p.
-Ethan Payne grounds out to 1B unassisted.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 1
5th Inning:
T5
-Ty Kaufman grounds out to 2B.
-Brock Mercado strikes out swinging.
-Ben Hemphill homers to left field on the first pitch of his at-bat. Solo shot.
-Kohl Abrams singles to LF.
-Robbie Burnett strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Charlie Taylor pops up to 1B.
-Hunter Ensley works a walk.
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out looking on three pitches.
-Christian Moore grounds out to 3B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 2
6th Inning:
T6
-Dylan Bacot pops up to 3B.
-Corbin Lanowitz singles to 2B.
-Cameron Johnson reaches on an error by Christian Moore as a line drive ricocheted off of his glove. Lanowitz advances to second.
-Michael Groves strikes out swinging.
*Pitching change: RS-Fr. RHP Austin Hunley on to pitch for Behnke*
Career debut for RS Freshman Austin Hunley
-Ty Kaufman singles to 2B. Bases loaded for Brock Mercado with two outs.
-Mercado reaches on a fielder’s choice as Kaufman is out at second. Nice job by Hunley to strand the bases loaded.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
*Pitching change: So. LHP Nic Melton on to pitch for Strmiska*
-Kavares Tears grounds out to 2B.
-Billy Amick grounds out to 3B. Nice play by UNC Asheville third baseman Cameron Johnson.
-Blake Burke flies out to CF. Vols go down in order on six pitches.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 2, Bulldogs 2
7th Inning:
T7
-Ben Hemphill fouls out to 1B.
-Kohl Abrams knocks a single up the middle.
Marcus Phillips is warming up in the bullpen.
-Robbie Burnett flies out to the warning track in LF.
-Dylan Bacot grounds out to SS.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Jacob Williams on to pitch for Melton*
-Robin Villenueve works a walk on a full count.
*2B Bradke Lohry pinch-running for Villenueve*
*Dalton Bargo pinch-hitting for Ethan Payne*
-Bargo is HBP. Lohry advances to second.
*Cannon Peebles pinch-hitting for Charlie Taylor*
*Pitching change: Sr. LHP Isaac Gonzales on to pitch for Williams*
-Peebles flies out to RF. Lohry advances to third.
-Hunter Ensley delivers a sac fly into deep center field to score Lohry.
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 3, Bulldogs 2
8th Inning:
T8
*Austin Perry to 2B for Bargo*
*Peebles to C*
-Corbin Lanowitz grounds out to 1B unassisted.
-Cameron Johnson pops up to 1B.
-Michael Groves singles over Austin Perry into right field. Perry nearly made a leaping catch.
-Ty Kaufman flies out to CF.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
*Pitching change: So. RHP Branden Barna on to pitch for Gonzales*
-Christian Moore is walked.
-Moore advances to second on a balk.
-Kavares Tears grounds out to 2B. Moore advances to third.
-Billy Amick strikes out looking.
-Blake Burke intentionally walked.
-Bradke Lohry strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 3, Bulldogs 2
9th Inning:
T9
*Matthew Gross pinch-hitting for Mercado*
-Gross strikes out swinging.
-Ben Hemphill flies out to CF.
-Kohl Abrams strikes out swinging.
END OF GAME
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 3, UNC Asheville Bulldogs 2
