KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee baseball picked up a 18-1 win over Hofstra to clinch the weekend series Saturday in Knoxville.
After a scoreless first inning, Tennessee tallied multiple runs in each frame the rest of the way. True freshmen Chris Newstrom and Levi Clark impressed with three RBIs apiece, and Hunter Ensley recorded Tennessee’s first grand slam of the season to put the nail in Hofstra’s coffin.
Tennessee’s pitching staff combined to give up just two hits and one run, led by junior RHP Marcus Phillips who recorded four scoreless innings in his third start as a Vol.
Read all about Tennessee’s second win of the 2025 season here.
True Freshmen, Hunter Ensley Lead the Way Offensively
Tennessee got on the board in the second inning, when Reese Chapman brought a run home with a fielder’s choice. A wild pitch scored a run during the next at-bat to give the Vols a multi-run lead after two.
After a Cannon Peebles’ RBI fielder’s choice in the third, freshman Chris Newstrom doubled Tennessee’s lead with a bases-clearing double to the right-center wall. It was Newstrom’s second hit in his second at-bat as a Vol, as the Phoenix, Arizona native had singled in the second inning.
True freshmen were a big part of Tennessee’s day offensively. Designated hitter Levi Clark blew the game open for Tennessee in the fourth with a three-run bomb to left field, bringing home Gavin Kilen and Hunter Ensley who had each walked.
Clark finished 3-3 at the plate in his impressive debut with a double, home run, single and walk, finishing just a triple shy of the cycle.
Tennessee loaded the bases for a third time in the fifth inning, and Ensley capitalized by mashing UT’s first grand slam of the season. The Huntingdon, Tennessee native scorched a baseball 392 feet into the second deck of the left-field porches to leave no doubt in Tennessee’s eventual series win and put the run-rule into effect.
Jay Abernathy joined his fellow freshmen teammates in the RBI department by bringing home a run with a single in the sixth. Redshirt-freshman Blake Grimmer followed up Abernathy’s single with a three-run homer off the scoreboard, his first as a Vol, extending Tennessee’s lead to 17-1.
Kilen was the final run to score for Tennessee, scoring on a throwing error after he had recorded a two-out triple in the sixth.
More From RTI: Tennessee vs. Hofstra Game Two At-Bat By At-Bat Thread
Phillips Solid in First Weekend Start
Phillips recorded his first weekend start in his Tennessee career, turning in a solid outing in 4.0 scoreless innings of work. The South Dakota native struck out four while giving up just one hit. Though he did walk two batters, the hard-throwing righty never ran into much trouble, allowing a total of five baserunners, two of which reached via infield errors.
Hofstra’s lone run came in the fifth inning, when catcher Dom Camera hit a leadoff solo homer off of Tennessee reliever Michael Sharman.
Sharman faced just three batters, surrendering a walk and getting a fielder’s choice for out number one before being relieved by sophomore right-hander Austin Hunley.
Hunley made quick work of his first and last two batters faced to get out of the fifth inning.
JuCo transfer LHP Brandon Arvidson got the ball to begin the sixth inning and recorded UT’s lone 1-2-3 inning, doing so in seven pitches.
JuCo transfer RHP Thomas Crabtree closed things out in the seventh, striking out the side around a leadoff HBP and walk.
Up Next
Tennessee will look to sweep Hofstra on Sunday in Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch is at 11 a.m. ET on SECN+.
