Tennessee baseball achieved a relatively stress-free series-sweeping win over South Carolina Sunday in Columbia, 7-2.
Hunter Ensley and Dalton Bargo stayed hot at the plate while freshman duo Tegan Kuhns and Brayden Krenzel got it done on the mound again in a game-three setting.
With the sweep, Tennessee improved to a fantastic 26-2 overall record and 8-1 SEC record.
Here’s how Tennessee got it done Sunday at Founders Park.
Vols Get Going in the Fourth
Tennessee’s offense struggled mightily in the first three frames. South Carolina starting pitcher Matthew Becker retired all nine Tennessee hitters his first time through the lineup on just 26 pitches.
But the second time through, Tennessee found more success. A leadoff hit-by-pitch for Dean Curley jump-started a three-run inning for the Vols.
Dalton Bargo legged out a double to put a pair in scoring position for Hunter Ensley, who brought both home with a two-run single. A wild pitch and Andrew Fischer single then put runners on second and third with no outs again for the Big Orange.
Becker bounced back with back-to-back strikeouts, but Manny Marin slapped an RBI single to left field after a South Carolina mound meeting to plate another.
That was the end of the line for Becker, who handed the ball off to reliever Parker Marlatt.
Tennessee continued its success against the Gamecocks’ bullpen in the fifth. Against Marlatt and two other bullpen arms, the Vols added a pair of runs with a Bargo RBI single and Reese Chapman RBI double.
Tennessee could’ve tacked on more, too, as Manny Marin struck out to strand the bases loaded.
Ensley and Bargo have been incredible at the plate as of late and that trend continued this weekend in Columbia. Ensley went 6-13 with two homers, a double and five RBIs this weekend while Bargo went 6-12 with a homer, double and three RBIs.
Bargo is on a seven-game hit streak. The junior has recorded multiple hits in five of those seven games.
Ensley is on an eight-game hit streak. He’s recorded multiple hits in five games during that streak. The redshirt senior capped off his great weekend in Columbia with a four-hit day on Sunday.
More From RTI: WATCH: Ariel Antigua Makes ‘One of the Best’ Plays Tony Vitello Has Ever Seen
Kuhns-Krenzel stack works again
Last weekend against Alabama, true freshmen duo Tegan Kuhns and Brayden Krenzel allowed two runs and got all but one out in a series-clinching win.
Sunday against the Gamecocks, the duo shined again, getting all 27 outs and limiting a dangerous South Carolina offense to two runs in a series-sweeping victory.
Kuhns earned his third consecutive game three start for the Vols. The Gettysburg, Pennsylvania native gave up six hits but did really well working around trouble.
Kuhns got off to a rocky start in the opening frame, giving up a walk and a pair of singles, the latter of which gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead. But he bounced back well, retiring three straight to strand a pair in scoring position.
After facing the minimum across the next two innings, Kuhns stranded a pair in scoring position again in the fourth, keeping South Carolina at one run.
Kuhns’ day abruptly came to an end in the fifth after back-to-back South Carolina singles to begin the bottom half.
Freshman Brayden Krenzel relieved Kuhns and plunked Gamecocks star outfielder Ethan Petry to load the bases with no outs. In a big moment, Krenzel got out of the jam with a strikeout and double play. Krenzel would go on to allow just one run in a great 5.0-inning relief outing.
The Dublin, Ohio native was incredible last weekend in a 4.1-inning relief appearance against Alabama in his SEC debut, but he was never in a high-leverage moment like he was Sunday.
Krenzel’s ability to get out of the jam and his outing as a whole further solidified the true freshman as a reliable bullpen arm in SEC play.
Krenzel finished his career-long outing giving up just one run on four hits while striking out four, walking two and hitting two batters. His command wasn’t the best but he didn’t get hit around, keeping SC at bay throughout his outing.
Back-to-back homers put South Carolina away
Tennessee never relinquished the lead once it took it in the fourth and all but put South Carolina away in the seventh with a pair of long balls.
Hunter Ensley hammered a one-out solo homer to left field before Fischer launched a homer to center to make it back-to-back jacks for the Vols.
Fischer’s blast marked his second in as many games and 10th in the 18 contests. The Ole Miss transfer’s power has undoubtedly lived up to preseason expectations in the month of March.
The pair of homers gives Tennessee 68 on the year. The Vols are averaging 2.4 homers a game.
Up Next
Tennessee will return to action Tuesday against Tennessee Tech in Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch is at 6 p.m. ET on SEC Network +.
