KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee baseball dominated Illinois on Saturday in Lindsey Nelson Stadium, cruising to a 24-1 win to clinch the series.
The Vols used 10 runs in the first three innings and a strong Drew Beam outing to earn the stress-free win. The series win marks the Vols’ third straight, and the Big Orange have now won 14 consecutive games.
Here’s some quick takeaways on Tennessee’s blowout win in rainy Knoxville.
Tennessee Opens It Up Early
Ten of Tennessee’s 24 runs came in the first three innings, as the Vols teed off on Illinois’ starter and reliever with some assistance from the rain.
Tennessee struck first in the opening frame with a pair of runs. Blake Burke recorded Tennessee’s first hit of the afternoon with a double down the left-field line and later scored on a passed ball.
Kavares Tears then extended his hit streak to 14 games by smoking a double to center field to score Billy Amick, who reached on an infield single.
Tennessee took a commanding lead in the second, tallying six runs on just two hits. Illinois’ starting pitcher Logan Tabeling began to lose all command as heavy, heavy rain came down in Knoxville.
After Tabeling surrendered a pair of walks, Burke blooped an RBI double into shallow left field. A pair of wild pitches then scored a pair of Tennessee runs, leading Illinois to turn to left-handed pitcher Sam Reed. Reed also struggled to throw strikes, and one of his few pitches that was in the zone was crushed 420-feet off the batter’s eye by Dylan Dreiling.
Dreiling’s three-run blast gave Tennessee an 8-0 lead to officially open things up.
Christian Moore gave the Vols a double-digit lead in the third, launching a two-run home run to right field to score himself and Reese Chapman, who previously hit a ground-rule double.
Drew Beam Does Drew Beam Things
Drew Beam turned in another strong performance to get the win on Saturday. Beam’s unconventional outing book-ended a 48-minute rain delay that occurred in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Prior to the delay, Beam had given up three hits, no walks and no runs while striking out four on 50 pitches. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, native only pitched one more inning after the delay, but he wasn’t as crisp in the fifth, giving up a walk and an RBI double.
Beam finished his five-inning outing with four hits, one run and one walk allowed while striking out five on 65 total pitches (44 strikes).
Overall, it was another strong performance for Beam heading into SEC play.
Including last week’s outing against Bowling Green, Beam has given up nine hits, two runs, two walks and struck out 14 in 10 innings.
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Blake Burke Continues Huge Day at the Plate
Burke had a big day at the plate in Tennessee’s win. The power-hitting lefty went 3-4 at the plate with four RBI, two doubles and a home run. Burke’s three hits co-led the team with Reese Chapman.
In addition to Burke’s pair of doubles in the first three innings, the Brentwood, California, native connected on a three-run moonshot home run in the fifth inning to give the Vols a 14-1 lead.
Burke’s 394-foot blast marked his fifth of the season and 35th of his career, bringing him five bombs shy of Luc Lipcius’ program record (40).
Vols Pile It On as Game Progresses
Tennessee’s offense continued their onslaught on Illinois as the game progressed. Following a four-spot in the fifth that included Burke’s three-run home run and a Dalton Bargo solo home run, Reese Chapman hit a grand slam in the sixth to tack on four more runs.
Tennessee recorded their third straight four-spot in the seventh inning as Colby Backus scored on a wild pitch, Hunter High recorded an RBI double, and Bradke Lohry scored a pair with a single. High and Lohry’s hits were the first of their Tennessee careers.
In total, Tennessee scored three runs on wild pitches, and Illinois threw five. The Vols also batted through the order in the seventh and were a batter away from doing so in the fifth and the sixth.
Chapman added two more runs in the eighth with a two-run double, bringing his RBI total to a team-high six on the day, a career-high. Chapman was the only starter to remain in the game for its entirety.
In addition to Tennessee’s continued success at the plate, freshman LHP Dylan Loy, sophomore RHP JJ Garcia, freshman LHP Brayden Sharp and freshman RHP Austin Hunley combined to pitch four scoreless relief innings.
Up Next
Tennessee will go for their third straight series sweep on Sunday in Knoxville at 1 p.m. ET.
