SCORE: Vols 21, Great Danes 6 | FINAL
Ninth-ranked Tennessee baseball (5-1) is hosting UAlbany baseball (0-1) Saturday in Lindsey Nelson Stadium in game two of a three-game weekend series. Tennessee won the series opener, 8-5, on Friday.
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. Therefore, the Vols have a chance to earn their first series win if they were to be victorious.
First pitch for Saturday’s game is at 12:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network +. The game was originally slated to begin at 2 p.m. ET but was moved up due to weather. You can watch and listen to the game using the links.
The Vols are looking to build off of a four-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 presented more of a challenge to Tennessee on Friday than anyone would have expected. If it wasn’t for a double error in the third inning that scored three Tennessee runs, the game would have been tied heading into the bottom of the ninth if everything else stayed the same. We’ll see how well the Great Danes’ pitching can hold up as the weekend progresses, though, as this Tennessee lineup can explode at any moment.
More From RTI: Takeaways From the First Week of Tennessee Baseball’s Season | RTI Press Pass
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:
2B Christian Moore (R)
RF Dylan Dreiling (L)
3B Billy Amick (R)
CF Kavares Tears (L)
C Cannon Peebles (S)
LF Robin Villeneuve (R)
1B Blake Burke (L)
SS Dean Curley (R)
DH Dalton Bargo (L)
Lineup Notes:
- Dreiling gets moves back to the outfield, but in right field for the first time this season.
- Tears starting in center field for the first time this season. No Hunter Ensley at all today, also for the first time this season.
- Villeneuve starting in left field to round out the new-look outfield, his first outfield start this season.
- Bargo gets his second DH start of the season.
- Curley has now started three straight games at SS, seems to have role locked up.
- Moore stays at second with Curley at SS.
- Peebles handling catcher duties after Stark started on Friday.
UALBANY STARTING NINE:
1B Ryan Ferremi
LF Jared Toby
3B Will Binder
DH Mike Prisco
CF Luke Filippi
2B Victor Mazzara
SS Cooper Loyal
C Thomas McElwee
RF John Vitucci
Pitching Matchup
Vols Jr. RHP Drew Beam (0-0, 1.59 ERA, 1 app., 1 start, 5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, .333 opp. batting avg., 1.24 WHIP)
vs.
Great Danes Jr. RHP Connor Eisenmann (2023 stats: 1-2, 7.71 ERA, 8 app., 7 starts, 35.0 IP, 43 H, 35 R, 30 ER, 19 BB, 25 K, .299 opp. batting avg., 1.77 WHIP)
Uniforms
Tennessee: Orange tops, white bottoms
UAlbany: Purple tops, grey bottoms
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Ryan Ferremi singles through the right side.
-Jared Toby doubles down the RF line. Barely fair.
-Will Binder grounds out to first 1B to p. Ferremi scores on the RBI groundout. Toby advances to third.
-Mike Prisco strikes out looking.
-Luke Filippi strikes out swinging. Nice job by Beam to get back-to-back Ks and strand a runner ISP.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Dylan Dreiling grounds out to 2B.
-Billy Amick strikes out swinging. Vols go down in order on 16 pitches.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Great Danes 1
2nd Inning:
T2
-Victor Mazzara grounds out to SS.
-Cooper Loyal grounds out to 3B. Nice charge by Amick to make the play.
-Thomas McElwee strikes out looking. Beam gets the 1-2-3 inning and seems settled in.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
-Cannon Peebles works a walk on a full count. Eisenmann threw three really poor pitches in a row, all well outside, to walk Peebles.
-Robin Villeneuve rips a single through the left side. Peebles advances to second.
-Blake Burke lines out to CF. 113 mph off the bat but hung in the air, allowing Filippi to make the catch.
-Dean Curley flies out to LF. Tennessee cannot capitalize with a pair of runners on base.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Great Danes 1
3rd Inning:
T3
-John Vitucci slices a leadoff single up the middle.
-Ryan Ferremi singles to 2B. Vitucci advances to second. Nice job by Moore to stop it from going to the outfield, but he stumbled and could not flip it to Curley at second for an out. Had he been able to, it would’ve been a 4-6-3 double play.
-Jared Toby grounds into a 4-6-3 double play. Good stuff from Curley and Burke, who made a great stretch, to make it happen.
-Will Binder flies out to RF.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Dalton Bargo flies out to the warning track in left center.
-Christian Moore pops up to 1B.
-Dylan Dreiling works a walk.
-Billy Amick ropes a single through the left side. Dreiling advances to second.
-Kavares Tears lines out to RF. Really hard-hit ball, but it was right to the right-fielder. Some bad luck for the Vols at the plate so far, specifically Tears and Burke’s line outs.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Great Danes 1
4th Inning:
T4
-Mike Prisco bounces a groundout to SS.
-Luke Filippi flies out to RF.
-Victor Mazzara strikes out swinging. Second 1-2-3 inning for Beam.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Cannon Peebles grounds out to SS.
-Robin Villeneuve is plunked.
-Blake Burke drills a double deep into right field. Villeneuve advances to third.
-Dean Curley cranks a three-run homer to the left field porches. 102 mph, 400 -feet. Vols are on the board with the lead.
-Dalton Bargo drives a single up the middle.
-Christian Moore works a walk. Bargo advances to second.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Matt Mariano (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Eisenmann*
-Dylan Dreiling works a walk on a full count. Bases loaded for Billy Amick with one out.
-Billy Amick smokes a bases-clearing double to left field, advances to third on the throw home. Big time hit for Amick plates three more Vols.
-Kavares Tears connects for a sac fly to foul territory in left field.
-Cannon Peebles works a walk on a full count.
-Robin Villeneuve launches a two-run bomb over the batter’s eye. His first career homer as a Vol.. 448-feet, 108 mph off the bat… Villeneuve mashed that baseball.
-Blake Burke reaches on a fielding error by the UAlbany second baseman Victor Mazzara.
Burke steals second, advances to third on a throwing error by the UAlbany catcher Thomas McElwee.
-Dean Curley strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 9, Great Danes 1
5th Inning:
T5
-Cooper Loyal pops up to 2B.
-Thomas McElwee grounds out to SS.
-John Vitucci is plunked.
-Ryan Ferremi singles through the right side. Vitucci advances to third, as Amick’s tag is barely too late. Looked like he may have dropped the ball at first. Was a close call.
-Jared Toby sends an RBI single through the right side to score Vitucci. Ferremi advances to second.
-Will Binder reaches on a fielder’s choice as Toby is out at second, 6-4, to end the inning.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Dalton Bargo knocks a leadoff double off the left field wall.
-Christian Moore bloops a single into right field. Bargo advances to third.
-Dylan Dreiling connects for an RBI single into left field to score Bargo. Moore advances to second.
-Billy Amick lines out to CF. Moore advances to third.
-Kavares Tears joins the HR party with a three-run shot over the batter’s eye. His third home run of the season. 107 mph off the bat, 427-feet.
*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Aidan Gelbsman (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Mariano*
-Cannon Peebles lines out to SS.
-Robin Villeneuve strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 13, Great Danes 2
6th Inning:
T6
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Aaron Combs (0-1, 11.57 ERA) on to pitch for Beam*
*Colby Backus to CF for Tears*
*Bradke Lohry to 2B for Moore*
Drew Beam final line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 53 strikes on 71 total pitches against 21 batters
-Mike Prisco grounds out to p.
-Luke Filippi flies out to CF. Nice job by Backus to make the catch at the back wall.
-Victor Mazzara grounds out to p.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
-Blake Burke doubles deep into right field. Barely beat the throw to second.
*Reese Chapman pinch-running for Burke*
-Dean Curley strikes out swinging.
-Dalton Bargo goes oppo for a two-run homer to the left field porches. His first homer of the season, and he’s now a triple away from the cycle. Vols take a 13-run lead.
-Bradke Lohry works a walk on a full count.
*Alex Perry pinch-hitting for Dylan Dreiling*
-Perry is walked on four pitches. Two on with one out for Billy Amick.
-Billy Amick flies out to RF.
Runners advance to second and third on a passed ball.
-Backus works a walk on a full count. Bases loaded with two outs for Cannon Peebles.
-Cannon Peebles ropes a bases-clearing double to left center. Tremendous job by Backus to score all the way from first. Has shown he is one of the fastest guys on the team.
*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Steven Turk (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Gelbsman*
-Rob Villeneuve is walked on four pitches.
-Reese Chapman strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 18, Great Danes 2
7th Inning:
T7
*Perry to LF*
*Villeneuve to 1B*
*Chapman to RF*
*Camden Bates to SS for Curley*
*Curley to 3B for Amick*
*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Dylan Loy (1-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Combs*
*Justin Hurd pinch-hitting for SS Cooper Loyal*
-Hurd strikes out swinging.
-Thomas McElwee singles through the left side.
-John Vitucci strikes out swinging.
-Ryan Ferremi grounds out to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
*Hurd to SS*
*Hunter High pinch-hitting for Dean Curley*
-High flies out to LF.
*Ethan Payne pinch-hitting for Dalton Bargo*
-Payne works a walk.
-Bradke Lohry flies out to LF.
-Alex Perry strikes out looking.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 18, Great Danes 2
8th Inning:
T8
*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Luke Payne (debut) on to pitch for Loy*
*High to LF*
*Perry to 3B*
*Charlie Taylor to C for Peebles*
-Jared Toby doubles to left field on the first pitch of the AB.
Toby advances to third on a wild pitch.
-Will Binder knocks a sac fly to CF to score Toby.
-Mike Prisco strikes out looking.
*Michael Maggio pinch-hitting for Luke Filippi*
-Maggio is walked.
Maggio advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Victor Mazzara is walked on four pitches.
-Justin Hurd strikes out looking.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Jason Goldblum on to pitch for Turk*
*Maggio to CF*
-Camden Bates works a leadoff walk.
Bates advances to second on a balk.
-Colby Backus flies out to CF.
-Charlie Taylor is walked.
-Robin Villeneuve is plunked for the second time today. Bases loaded with one out for Reese Chapman.
-Reese Chapman ropes a bases-clearing double deep into right field. His first hit of the season.
-Hunter High grounds out to 2B. Chapman advances to third.
-Ethan Payne pops up to 3B.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 21, Great Danes 3
9th Inning:
T9
*Pitching change: So. RHP JJ Garcia (0-0, 0.00 ERA) on to pitch for Payne*
-Thomas McElwee doubles to RF.
-John Vitucci sends an RBI single up the middle.
-Ryan Ferremi launches a two-run homer off the scoreboard.
-Jared Toby grounds out to 3B.
-Will Binder strikes out swinging.
-Mike Prisco singles to 2B.
-Michael Maggio strikes out swinging.
Score: Vols 21, Great Danes 6
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 21, UAlbany Great Danes 6
