Tennessee baseball made easy work of Alabama A&M in a midweek bout on Tuesday night. The Vols extended their winning streak to three games as they run-ruled the Bulldogs 20-2 in seven innings at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
It was a classic midweek baseball game on a cloudy Tuesday evening. Here’s how the Vols got it done.
A Classic Bullpen Midweek Game
It was a classic Johnny Wholestaff day for Tennessee’s pitching staff as the Vols used seven different pitchers in the seven inning game.
Freshman LHP Dylan Loy got the start and allowed a one-out single before getting out of the inning by striking out the next two batters. Sophomore RHP JJ Garcia was dominant in the second inning when he struck out a pair of batters while retiring the side in order.
Junior college transfer Marcus Phillips ran into some trouble in the third inning when he walked a pair of batters but worked out of the jam.
Freshman left-handed pitcher Matthew Dallas had the worst night of any of Tennessee’s pitchers, allowing two earned runs on two hits in the fourth inning. The talented freshman did strand a runner in-scoring position.
Freshmen Austin Hunley, Luke Payne and Brady Robertson each worked scoreless innings and Robertson was particularly impressive, striking out a pair of batters in a 1-2-3 inning.
A Number Of Tennessee Players See Action
Another midweek baseball staple, Tony Vitello emptied his dugout and go a ton of position players work against Alabama A&M. In fact, Tennessee used 16 different players in the field against the Bulldogs.
What was slightly unique was just how quickly Tennessee got its bench players in the game. By the end of the third inning, Vitello had already replaced five position player starters, pinch running multiple guys after either the starter’s second or third at-bat.
With a number of different players getting at-bats, 12 Vols recorded a hit and all 16 Vols that had plate appearances reached base.
Outfielder Colby Backus had a nice night, hitting a two-run homer, reaching base twice on balls and recording an outfield assist on a throw to third base. Catcher Cannon Peebles also had a solid night at the plate hitting one-of-one with a walk, hit-by pitch and two RBIs. Freshman infielder Camden Bates launched a three-run homer into the left field porches while also working a walk.
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A Bulldog Walk Show
In a third trend that’s common in midweek baseball, Alabama A&M’s pitchers struggled to find the strike zone against the Vols’ lineup.
Alabama A&M’s pitching staff combined to walk 13 batters and hit five more. Six of the Vols runs came in on plays other than hits or sac flies including three walks, a hit-by pitch, a passed ball and a balk. Freshman infielder Bradke Lohry, who earned the start at designated hitter, had a pair of the RBI walks.
It was an equal opportunity walk show for Alabama A&M, with three of four Bulldog pitchers totaling at least four walks. Trey Scott led the way with five walks in one inning pitched
That’s how Tennessee had seven runs through three innings with only three hits and scored 20 runs over the course of the game while totaling just 12 hits.
Box Score
Up Next
Tennessee baseball welcomes LSU to Lindsey Nelson Stadium this weekend for a three-game series. First pitch for Friday night’s series opener is at 7:30 p.m. ET.
