SCORE: Tennessee 12, Western Carolina 4 | FINAL
*SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED*
Third-ranked Tennessee baseball (33-7, 12-6 SEC) is set to battle the Western Carolina Catamounts (21-16, 6-6 SoCon) Tuesday in a midweek matchup in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
First pitch is at 6:00 p.m. ET on SEC Network +. Reminder that the online broadcasts can be accessed on any mobile device through WatchESPN. WatchESPN can be accessed through the ESPN App, or online at espn.com/watch. You can also watch or listen to the game using the links.
The Vols are coming off their most impressive weekend to date, as they beat (then) third-ranked Kentucky in a three-game series on the road. Tennessee won games two and three 9-4 and 13-11, respectively, after dropping the opener in Lexington, 5-3.
Tennessee had tremendous performances from reliever Aaron Combs on Saturday and Christian Moore at the plate all weekend. Moore went on a tear in the Commonwealth, hitting nine-of-15 (.600) at the plate with four home runs, a double and nine RBIs. Three of his four home runs came in Tennessee’s series-clinching win on Sunday.
Moore won SEC Player of the Week, D1 Baseball Player of the Week and Perfect Game Player of the Week for his heroics.
The series win catapulted Tennessee over Kentucky in the rankings, and the Vols are the unanimous number three team in the country behind fellow SEC squads Texas A&M and Arkansas.
Read more about how Christian Moore was the ‘separator’ in Tennessee’s series win over Kentucky here.
In addition to the monumental series win in Lexington, Tennessee owns a series sweep over defending national champions LSU in Knoxville, series wins over No. 20 Georgia and Ole Miss at home, and a series victory over Auburn on the road.
The Kentucky series win marked the Vols’ fifth straight.
Tennessee opened SEC play in Tuscaloosa against Alabama, who are the only team to beat the Vols in a series this season, winning games two and three.
In addition to the five conference series wins, some highlights from Tennessee’s season have been its series sweep over Illinois, 10-run midweek win over Kansas State, and wins over Texas Tech and Baylor in Arlington.
As for Western Carolina, the Catamounts have had a mediocre season so far. Their most impressive, and only Power Five win, came against Michigan State in early March at a neutral site in Greenville, South Carolina. Western Carolina’s only other Power Five action this season was against Florida State, who swept the Catamounts in Tallahassee.
Injury Note
-AJ Russell remains out as he deals with forearm soreness. Russell will likely be out for a while, but he didn’t suffer a very serious injury.
For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, including how Aaron Combs’ recent excellent performances change Tennessee’s ceiling and what Tony Vitello said after Tennessee’s series win over Kentucky, click here.
More From RTI: Where Tennessee Baseball Lands In Rankings Following Kentucky Series
Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.
Starting Lineups
TENNESSEE STARTING NINE:
2B Christian Moore (R)
1B Blake Burke (L)
3B Billy Amick (R)
CF Kavares Tears (L)
LF Dylan Dreiling (L)
SS Dean Curley (R)
RF Reese Chapman (L)
DH Colby Backus (R)
C Cannon Peebles (S)
Lineup Notes:
- Colby Backus gets his first career start after impressing in all his opportunities over the past couple of weeks, both offensively and defensively.
- Backus is hitting .500 this season with 3 HR and two doubles on 16 at-bats. He’s made 17 appearances.
- Peebles gets the midweek start behind the plate after Stark started all three games of the Kentucky series.
- Peebles did appear in the series finale at Kentucky, recording a pinch-hit sac fly before catching the final four innings.
- Chapman gets the outfield start in right and Tears moves to center.
- Top six of the order remains the same.
WESTERN CAROLINA STARTING NINE:
CF Kyle Riesselmann (R)
2B Zach Ketterman (L)
LF Nate Stocum (L)
SS Trent Turner (R)
RF Hayden Friese (L)
1B Jack Spyke (R)
DH Tafton Hensley (R)
3B Mason Holton (R)
C Kyle Harbison (R)
Pitching Matchup:
Vols Fr. LHP Dylan Loy (1-0, 1.59 ERA, 10 app., 2 starts, 11.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 16 K, .135 opp. batting avg., 0.88 WHIP)
vs.
Catamounts Jr. RHP Spenser Hamblen (2-3, 8.75 ERA, 9 app., 6 starts, 23.2 IP, 39 H, 32 R, 23 ER, 20 BB, 17 K, .364 opp. batting avg., 2.49 WHIP)
Pitching notes:
- Loy gets his third midweek start of the season. Third in last four midweeks. Marcus Phillips started last week’s midweek bout.
- Hamblen had a really poor start to the season, struggling in February and March. Hasn’t seen much action in April so far (2.0 innings)
- Hasn’t appeared in a game since April 9.
Uniforms
Tennessee: Midweek pinstripes
Western Carolina: Purple tops, grey bottoms
*NOTE* There IS a RUN-RULE today. If Tennessee or Western Carolina leads by 10 or more runs in the seventh inning or later, the game is OVER.
GAME THREAD
1st Inning:
T1
-Kyle Riesselmann grounds out to SS.
-Zach Ketterman strikes out swinging.
-Nate Stocum strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B1
-Christian Moore flies out to the warning track in RF.
- 109 mph off the bat. Wind held it up. Some heavy wind in Knoxville today.
-Blake Burke grounds out at first 1B to P.
-Billy Amick grounds out to SS.
- Six-pitch inning for Hamblen.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 0, Catamounts 0
2nd Inning:
T2
-Trent Turner flies out to CF.
-Hayden Friese grounds out to SS.
-Jack Spyke flies out to the warning track in right center.
END OF TOP HALF
B2
-Kavares Tears works a walk.
Tears advances to second on a wild pitch.
-Dylan Dreiling flies out to RF. Tears advances to third.
-Dean Curley connects for an RBI groundout to 2B. Tears scores.
-Reese Chapman knocks a single up the middle.
-Colby Backus grounds out to P.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 1, Catamounts 0
3rd Inning:
T3
-Tafton Hensley flies out to LF.
-Mason Holton flies out to CF in right center.
- Tears has had to make a couple of running catches today.
-Kyle Harbison lines out to 1B.
- Nine up, nine down for Loy to start.
END OF TOP HALF
B3
-Cannon Peebles strikes out looking.
-Christian Moore grounds out to 3B.
-Blake Burke singles up the middle.
- Hit streak at 31 games. On-base streak at 39 games.
-Billy Amick smokes a two-run home run to left field.
- 13th HR of the season for Amick. 106 mph, 368 feet.
-Kavares Tears strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 3, Catamounts 0
4th Inning:
T4
-Kyle Riesselmann singles to SS.
-Zach Ketterman works a walk after a long at-bat. Riesselmann advances to second.
-Nate Stocum is walked to load the bases. No outs.
*Pitching change: RHP Brady Robertson (0-0, 2.70 ERA) on to pitch for Loy*
-Trent Turner HBP. It’s an RBI HBP as a run comes across. Riesselmann scores. Turner advances to second. Stocum advances to third.
*Pitching change: So. LHP Andrew Behnke (1-0, 3.00 ERA) on to pitch for Robertson*
-Hayden Friese knocks an RBI groundout to 1B unassisted as Ketterman scores.
-Jack Spyke lays down an RBI sac bunt to 3B to bring a run home. Turner advances to third.
-Tafton Hensley reaches on a throwing error by SS. Turner scores on the throwing error.
- Curley bounced his throw as he often does, but Burke couldn’t grab it off the hop.
Hensley steals second.
-Mason Holton strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
B4
-Dylan Dreiling grounds out to 3B.
-Dean Curley grounds out to P. Nice play by Hamblen.
-Reese Chapman flies out to CF.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 3, Catamounts 4
5th Inning:
T5
-Kyle Harbison lines out to 2B.
-Kyle Riesselmann strikes out looking.
-Zach Ketterman strikes out looking.
END OF TOP HALF
B5
-Colby Backus drills a leadoff solo homer to LF. Got out of there in a hurry.
- 107 mph, 374 feet. 4th HR of the season for Backus, who continues to rake.
-Cannon Peebles gets a double to drop in LF.
- Neither the left-fielder or the SS could make the catch due to the win having an affect on the ball.
-Christian Moore ropes a single to LF. Peebles advances to third.
-Blake Burke is walked on four pitches to load the bases. No outs.
*Pitching change: Sr. RHP Carson Lowder (0-0, 6.14 ERA) on to pitch for Hamblen*
-Billy Amick smacks a two-run single to left center. Peebles and Moore score. Burke advances to third.
-Kavares Tears pokes a three-run bomb to left center.
- Looked like he barely made contact on the opposite field homer. Shows just how strong Tears is. 103 mph, 396 feet. Tears’ 14th HR of the season.
*Pitching change: So. LHP Ryan White (3-1, 7.00 ERA) on to pitch for Lowder*
-Dylan Dreiling strikes out swinging.
-Dean Curley strikes out swinging.
-Reese Chapman HBP.
-Colby Backus flies out to the warning track in left-center.
- Nearly his second HR of the game. 103 mph off the bat.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 9, Catamounts 4
6th Inning:
T6
-Nate Stocum singles to LF.
- Dreiling nearly made a diving catch.
*Pitching change: So. RHP Marcus Phillips (0-0, 1.00 ERA) on to pitch for Behnke*
-Trent Turner pops up to SS.
-Hayden Friese grounds out at first 1B to P. Stocum advances to second.
-Jack Spyke flies out to RF.
END OF TOP HALF
B6
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Cannon Pickell (0-1, 23.40 ERA) on to pitch for White*
-Cannon Peebles strikes out looking.
-Christian Moore strikes out swinging.
-Blake Burke legs out an infield single to 2B.
Burke steals second
- Tennessee challenged the original ruling that Burke was out. Call was OVERTURNED. Burke is 6-7 stealing bases this year.
-Billy Amick strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 9, Catamounts 4
7th Inning:
T7
*Drew Needham pinch-hitting for Tafton Hensley*
-Needham works a walk.
-Mason Holton grounds out to P. Needham advances to second.
*James Hinson pinch-hitting for Harbison*
-Hinson grounds out at first 1B to P.
-Kyle Riesselmann pops up to 2B.
END OF TOP HALF
B7
*Jack Spyke to C*
*James Hinson to 1B*
*Pitching change: Jr. LHP Dylan Wheeler (1-1, 8.15 ERA) on to pitch for Pickell*
-Kavares Tears flies out to CF.
-Dylan Dreiling pops up to 2B in shallow RF.
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Maret Drye (0-0, 27.00 ERA) on to pitch for Wheeler*
*Dalton Bargo pinch-hitting for Dean Curley*
-Bargo works a walk.
*Ariel Antigua pinch-running for Bargo*
-Reese Chapman sends a 107 mph single up the middle. Antigua advances to third.
- Ricocheted off of the second baseman’s glove.
-Colby Backus lines out to SS. Right to him.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 9, Catamounts 4
8th Inning:
T8
*Antigua to SS*
*Hunter Ensley to CF for Reese Chapman*
*Kavares Tears to RF*
*Charlie Taylor to C for Cannon Peebles*
*Pitching change: Fr. LHP Matthew Dallas (1-0, 2.92 ERA) on to pitch for Phillips*
-Zach Ketterman strikes out swinging.
-Nate Stocum singles up the middle.
-Trent Turner strikes out swinging.
-Hayden Friese grounds out at first 1B to P.
END OF TOP HALF
B8
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Clay Cox (0-0, 3.86 ERA) on to pitch for Drye*
*Cameron Murray to C for Jack Spyke*
-Charlie Taylor is walked on four pitches.
-Christian Moore works a walk.
*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Paddy McGonigal (0-0, 9.00 ERA) on to pitch for Cox*
-Blake Burke grounds out to 1B unassisted. Moore advances to second. Taylor advances to third.
-Billy Amick launches a three-run homer to LF.
- Second homer of the game. 106 mph, 342 feet. 14th of the season for Amick.
*Bradke Lohry pinch-hitting for Kavares Tears*
-Lohry strikes out looking.
*Ethan Payne pinch-hitting for Dylan Dreiling*
-Ethan Payne strikes out swinging.
END OF BOTTOM HALF
Score: Vols 12, Catamounts 4
9th Inning:
T9
*Pitching change: So. RHP JJ Garcia (1-0, 5.40 ERA) on to pitch for Dallas*
*Bradke Lohry to 2B*
*Ethan Payne to 1B*
*Robin Villeneuve to RF for Christian Moore*
*Hunter High to LF for Blake Burke*
*Camden Bates to 3B for Billy Amick*
-Cameron Murray strikes out looking.
*Brody Raleigh pinch-hitting for Drew Needham*
-Raleigh strikes out looking.
*Elijah Smith pinch-hitting for Mason Holton*
-Smith strikes out swinging.
END OF TOP HALF
Score: Vols 12, Catamounts 4
END OF GAME
FINAL: Tennessee Vols 12, Western Carolina Catamounts 4
