SCORE: Vols 8, Great Danes 5 | FINAL
Ninth-ranked Tennessee baseball (4-1) is hosting UAlbany baseball (0-0) Friday evening in Lindsey Nelson Stadium in game one of a three-game weekend series. This weekend’s series marks the first of such for the Vols this season, as they opened their season in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington against three different teams.
First pitch for Friday night’s game is at 4:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network +. You can watch and listen to the game using the links.
The Vols are looking to build off of a three-game winning streak and remain undefeated at home. Tennessee began the season 2-1 in Arlington after beating Texas Tech (6-2) and Baylor (11-5) but losing to Oklahoma (5-1; 10 innings). On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Vols swept their midweek contests against UNC Asheville (3-2) and ETSU (16-0).
UAlbany should not present much of a challenge for Tennessee this weekend, as the Vols should cruise to a series sweep. However, we have nothing to go off of to asses UAlbany this season, as they are yet to play a game.
More From RTI: Takeaways From the First Week of Tennessee Baseball’s Season | RTI Press Pass
Last Friday when Tennessee played in the season opener, pitchers AJ Russell and AJ Causey were fantastic while the lineup did what they needed to do. The Vols will look for a similar outing again seven days later with likely more runs this time around.
For all of RTI’s recent baseball coverage, including the latest podcast recapping week one of the season, click here.
Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below.
Starting Lineups
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
CF Hunter Ensley (R)
DH Dylan Dreiling (L)
2B Christian Moore (R)
RF Kavares Tears (L)
3B Billy Amick (R)
1B Blake Burke (L)
SS Dean Curley (R)
LF Reese Chapman (L)
C Cal Stark (R)
Lineup Notes:
- Dreiling gets a DH start for the first time this season.
- Reese Chapman gets the LF start, his first start in left and second start for Chapman this season.
- Curley stays at shortstop after having an incredible debut on Wednesday vs. ETSU
- Moore stays at second with Curley at SS and moves back to the three-hole.
- Ensley back leading off.
- Stark handling catcher duties as that position continues to rotate.
- First time this season Peebles is not in the lineup at all.
UALBANY STARTING NINE:
1B Ryan Ferremi
LF Jared Toby
3B Will Binder
DH Mike Prisco
CF Luke Filippi
C Levi McAllister
SS Cooper Loyal
RF Anthony Scarabino
2B Luke Myers
Pitching Matchup
Vols So. RHP AJ Russell (0-0, 4.15 ERA, 1 app., 1 start, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, .200 opp. batting avg., 0.92 WHIP)
vs.
Great Danes Sr. RHP Owen Birkman (2023 stats: 3-4, 6.35 ERA, 13 app., 5 starts, 39.2 IP, 50 H, 28 R, 28 ER, 12 BB, 20 K, .309 opp. batting avg., 1.56 WHIP)
Uniforms
Tennessee: All whites
UAlbany: Yellow tops, grey bottoms
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-AJ Russell walks his first batter Ryan Ferremi.
-Jared Toby grounds into a 5-4-3 double play.
-Will Binder flies out to CF.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Hunter Ensley flies out to deep CF at the warning track.
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.
-Christian Moore slices a double to the RF wall.
-Kavares Tears flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Great Danes 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Mike Prisco strikes out swinging.
-Luke Filippi singles up the middle.
-Levi McAllister sends a single over Christian Moore’s head into shallow center field. Filippi advances to second.
-Cooper Loyal strikes out swinging.
-Anthony Scarabino grounds out to 2B. Nice play by Moore to charge and execute the play.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Billy Amick fouls out to 1B.
-Blake Burke grounds out to SS.
-Dean Curley knocks a single into center field.
-Reese Chapman flies out to LF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Great Danes 0
3rd Inning:
T3
-Luke Myers strikes out swinging.
-Ryan Ferremi strikes out swinging.
-Jared Toby singles up the middle.
Toby steals second.
-Will Binder grounds out to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Cal Stark singles through the right side.
-Stark advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Hunter Ensley strikes out looking.
-Dylan Dreiling smacks an RBI single up the middle to score Stark.
-Christian Moore flies out to CF.
-Kavares Tears singles through the right side. 105 mph off the bat. Dreiling advances to third.
-Billy Amick hits an RBI single to SS, beating the throw to first. Dreiling scores. Tears advances to third.
Blake Burke thinks he got hit by a pitch, but it was a ruled a ball. Tennessee challenges. CALL STANDS
-Burke works a walk. Amick advances to second.
-Dean Curley reaches on a throwing error by SS. Tears and Amick score on the error. Then the pitcher lost the first baseman’s throw in the sun which allowed Burke to score on the error. A double error scores three Tennessee runs.
-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 5, Great Danes 0
4th Inning:
T4
*Pitching change: Gr. LHP Chris Stamos (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Russell*
AJ Russell final line: 3 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1BB, 4 K, 36 strikes on 54 total pitches against 12 batters
-Mike Prisco works a walk on a full count.
-Luke Filippi grounds into a 6-4-3 double play.
-Levi McAllister flies out to LF.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Cal Stark is hit by a pitch. Stark had a foul ball that was originally ruled a home run, then called a foul ball, then reviewed and confirmed as a foul ball. Still gets on base anyway.
-Stark advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Hunter Ensley grounds out to 3B. Stark advances to third.
-Dylan Dreiling pops up to SS in shallow LF.
-Christian Moore grounds out to SS.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 5, Great Danes 0
5th Inning:
T5
-Cooper Loyal flies out to RF. Nice diving catch by Tears.
-Anthony Scarabino grounds out to 1B unassisted.
-Luke Myers grounds out to SS. Nice play by Curley who has looked good at shortstop so far.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Kavares Tears grounds out to 1B unassisted.
-Billy Amick singles to 3B.
-Blake Burke flies out to CF.
-Dean Curley grounds out to 3B. Nice play by UAlbany third baseman Will Binder.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 5, Great Danes 0
6th Inning:
T6
-Ryan Ferremi strikes out swinging.
-Jared Toby flies out to RF.
-Will Binder works a walk on a full count.
-Mike Prisco drives a two-run home run over the right-field wall.
-Luke Filippi grounds out to p. Nice play by Stamos to stop a hard-hit grounder and make the throw to Burke.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
*Pitching change: So. RHP Ryan Pittz on to pitch for Birkman*
-Reese Chapman grounds out to 1B unassisted.
-Cal Stark strikes out swinging.
-Hunter Ensley grounds out to SS.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 5, Great Danes 2
7th Inning:
T7
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP AJ Causey (1-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Stamos*
Chris Stamos final line: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 32 strikes on 51 total pitches against 11 batters
-Levi McAllister grounds out to SS.
-Cooper Loyal pops up to 2B in shallow center field.
-Anthony Scarabino pops up to SS in shallow left center.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
-Dylan Dreiling is hit by a pitch square in the upper back.
-Dreiling caught stealing at second.
-Christian Moore smokes a double off the left-center wall.
-Kavares Tears singles up the middle. Moore advances to third.
*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Michael DiMartino on to pitch for Pittz*
-Moore scores on a wild pitch. Tears advances to second.
-Billy Amick grounds out to SS. Tears advances to third.
-Blake Burke sends a two-run home run to left field. An opposite field shot for Burke’s first homer of the season. Burke is now 10 HR away from breaking the all-time program HR record.
-Dean Curley strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 8, Great Danes 2
8th Inning:
T8
-Pinch-hitter John Vitucci singles up the middle.
-Ryan Ferremi singles to SS. Vitucci advances to second.
-Jared Toby grounds out to 1B unassisted. Ferremi and Vitucci advance to second and third, respectively.
-Will Binder grounds out 1b to p at first. It’s an RBI groundout as Vitucci scores. Ferremi advances to third.
-Mike Prisco sends an RBI single through the left side to score Ferremi.
-Luke Filippi strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
*Victor Mazza to 2B for Vitucci*
*Dalton Bargo pinch-hitting for Reese Chapman*
-Bargo strikes out swinging.
*Cannon Peebles pinch-hitting for Cal Stark*
-Peebles singles up the middle.
-Hunter Ensley flies out to CF.
-Dylan Dreiling is walked on four pitches. Peebles advances to second.
-Christian Moore works a walk. Bases loaded for Kavares Tears with two outs.
-Tears strikes out swinging to strand the bases loaded.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 8, Great Danes 4
9th Inning:
T9
*Colby Backus to LF for Bargo*
*Peebles to C*
-Levi McAllister grounds out to SS.
*Justin Hurd pinch-hitting for Cooper Loyal*
-Hurd is walked.
-Anthony Scarabino grounds out to p. Hurd advances to second.
-Victor Mazza is hit by the first pitch of the AB. Runners on first and second with two outs.
-Ryan Ferremi sends an RBI single up the middle. Tying run at the plate.
-Jared Toby strikes out looking. Causey gets the save, his first as a Vol.
END OF GAME
Score: Vols 8, Great Danes 5
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 8, UAlbany Great Danes 5
