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STARTING LINEUPS
Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s win over ETSU on Tuesday.
Rounding First: Good start from Zander Sechrist
Tennessee’s sophomore was impressive Tuesday evening. He worked fast and did a good job of mixing up his pitches to keep the Bucs off balance two times through the order.
The southpaw ran into trouble with two outs in the fifth, ultimately giving up a run on an RBI double off the bat of Garrett Wallace, but Camden Sewell slammed the door to eliminate further damage. Teamwork.
Sechrist’s final line was 4.2 IP, one run off two hits, six strikeouts with only one walk. 53 of his 70 pitches were for strikes.
Rounding Second: Sewell so Sweet
Tennessee needed a big out in the fifth to escape with the lead. Tony Vitello of course went to the veteran Camden Sewell who came on to casually strikeout Ashton King with the game-tying run just 90 feet away.
The hard-throwing righty faced only four baters in the sixth and struck out the side in the seventh, keeping all the momentum on the home side. At one point in the eighth, the reliever had struck out five-straight.
On the season, Tennessee’s most dependable bullpen arm has tossed 8.1 innings, giving up only five hits with 11 strikeouts and one walk. He picked up the win Tuesday tossing a scores 3.1 innings with seven punchouts.
Rounding Third: Missed Opportunities
Tennessee got the dub, but it could have helped itself out in a big way Tuesday night. The Vols ended the game leaving nine men on base and stranding six men in scoring position.
Looking back, Jared Dickey led off the fifth inning with a double. However, he never moved again as Cortland Lawson lined out, Seth Stephenson struck out and Luc Lipcius grounded out to end the inning.
An inning later in the sixth, the Volunteers loaded the bases in a 2-1 game with only one out, but the Volunteers managed just one run off a Dickey walk. Evan Russell struck out while Lawson ended the frame on a fielder’s choice.
Earlier in the game, Ortega was stranded at third base after tripling with two gone.
Heading for Home: The boys stay hot
A day after reeling in weekly honors from the Southeastern Conference, Tennessee’s Trey Lipscomb and Jared Dickey performed well at the plate against the Bucs.
Yes, Lipscomb finished the game only 1-for-4 officially, but the one hit was a two-run home run to right that plated Drew Gilbert who had walked the a-b prior. The third baseman leads the Volunteers with five long balls – two more than Jordan Beck who is second with three.
Dickey continues to be impressive at the plate but also aggressive in his approach. The freshman jumped all over a first-pitch fastball in the fifth for a leadoff double and later walked in a run with the bases loaded to give the Vols some insurance.
The reigning SEC Freshman of the Week now has 10 hits on the season and two doubles. Tuesday was just Dickey’s second start of the year, but seventh overall appearance.
Key plays:
T1st: ETSU 0, Tennessee 0
Zander Sechrist works around a one-out HBP, only his second free-passing of the season, to get through the first unscathed. The three outs came via a groundout, strikeout and flyout.
B2nd: ETSU 0, Tennessee 0
Jorel Ortega broke up a strand of four Volunteers who were set down in-a-row with a two-out double off the left-center field wall. He took third on a throwing error and then was joined on the base paths by Evan Russell who walked. Jared Dickey then jumped on the first pitch, flying out to the warning track in right field for the final out - ending the two-on, two-out threat.
T4th: ETSU 0, Tennessee 0
Zander Sechrist continued to cruise, picking up his fifth strikeout of the game to retire the side. ETSU's Cam Norgren did tally the Bucs' first base-hit of the evening, singling up the middle with two outs. He was left stranded at first base.
B4th: ETSU 0, Tennessee 2 (+2)
The Vols finally jump on the scoreboard courtesy of a two-run home run off the bat of Trey Lipscomb. It was the fifth long ball of the season for Lipscomb, who drove in Drew Gilbert in the process after walking with one out.
T5th: ETSU 1 (+1), Tennessee 2
The Bucs ninth hitter in the lineup, Garrett Wallace, blasted an RBI double off the wall in left-center field to bring in David Beam. Camden Sewell then came in to get the final out of the frame, stranding the game-tying runner at third.
B5th: ETSU 1, Tennessee 2
Jared Dickey led off the inning with a double, but was left stranded at second base as Lawson lined out, Stephenson struck out and Lipcius grounded out to end the frame. Missed opportunity for some much needed insurance.
T6th: ETSU 1, Tennessee 2
Cam Norgren doubled with two gone. Noah Webb followed with a single to right. Norgren, trying to take home, is gunned out by Jordan Beck in right field. Play went to review and it stood. A great defensive play to keep the Volunteers out in front.
B6th: ETSU 1, Tennessee 3 (+1)
After nearly blowing a bases-loaded, one-out spot - Tennessee added another run as Jared Dickey walked in a run. Jordan Beck scored.
B7th: ETSU 1, Tennessee 4 (+1)
The Vols pick up some more insurance on an RBI double down the right field line from Drew Gilbert. Luc Lipcius scored.
This week’s schedule:
Tuesday Midweek Game: ETSU (1) vs. Tennessee (4)
Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic – Houston, TX – Minute Maid Park
Friday: Tennessee vs. No. 1 Texas – 8 pm ET
Saturday: Tennessee vs. Baylor – 4 pm ET
Sunday: Tennessee vs. Oklahoma – 12 pm ET
