Published Apr 16, 2024
Blake Burke ties Condredge Holloway for program hit-streak in Vols' win
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Ryan Sylvia  •  VolReport
Assistant Managing Editor
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Blake Burke recently set the program record for career home runs and didn't have plans to stop rewriting the record book there.

In the Vols' 20-5 win over Bellarmine on Tuesday, his first-inning single extended his hit-streak to 27 games which tied Condredge Holloway for the program record. This is also the longest current streak in the country.

He finished the game 2-for-2 at the plate with a grand slam in the second inning. He was replaced in the field in the top of the third.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

No. 4 Tennessee (31-6) also got production at the plate with home runs from Reese Chapman (twice), Kavares Tears, Charlie Taylor and Colby Backus. This was 101 on the season.

Burke, Chapman, Backus, Alex Perry, Bradke Lohry, Dalton Bargo and Ariel Antigua notched multiple hits in the game.

On the mound, Marcus Phillips, Austin Hunley, Dylan Loy, Matthew Dallas, Brady Robertson, Derek Schaefer and JJ Garcia combined to hold the Knights (6-30) to just five hits and five runs.

STARTING LINEUPS

Tennessee

1. Cannon Peebles (B) - C

2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B

3. Billy Amick (R) - 3B

4. Kavares Tears (L) - CF

5. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF

6. Dean Curley (R) - SS

7. Reese Chapman (L) - RF

8. Dalton Bargo (L) - DH

9. Ariel Antigua (R) - 2B

RHP - Marcus Phillips

Bellarmine

1. Will Aubel (R) - CF

2. Casey Sorg (R) - 1B

3. Reed Blaszczyk (R) - 3B

4. Luke Scales (R) - SS

5. Jacob Rowold (L) - DH

6. Jake Agarwal (R) - RF

7. Webster Walls (L) - 2B

8. Joey Milto (R) - LF

9. Charlie Rife (R) - C

RHP - Nolan Pender

HOW IT HAPPENED

It was Phillips who got the ball to get things started. He went 1-2-3 in the first including a diving play from Chapman in right field to end the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Tennessee threatened with two on base and one out, but the pair were stranded.

Chapman continued his strong day with a home run into the right-field bullpen in the second to score a pair. After loading the bases with no outs, Burke hit one off the top of the scoreboard for the team's 10th grand slam of the season. Tears also added a solo shot of his own to make the score 7-0.

In the third, Hunley allowed a three-run blast and his night was finalized. Loy entered with one down and allowed a solo shot of his own. This put the score at 7-4 in the middle of the third.

In the bottom of the inning, Billy Amick drew a bases loaded walk to score one more run and bring the lead back to four. Another run was added in the bottom of the fourth on a Chapman home run that hugged the left-field pole.

Dallas entered with two outs and one on in the top of the fifth and educed a groundout.

The next runs plated came off the bat of Bargo as he ripped a bases loaded single to score two in the bottom of the sixth. Antigua followed it up by dropping a single into right to score another.

Robertson entered in the top of the seventh and made quick work of Bellarmine. In the bottom, Bradke Lohry singled to drive in another run. Alex Perry blooped another run home into center.

Taylor added some extra runs with a three-run shot in the same frame. This made it a 17-4 game with two innings to go.

Payne entered on the mound but gave up a solo shot to the first batter he faced. He got two outs and was replaced by Derek Schaefer. In the bottom of the inning, Backus hit a home run and Lohry scored another and Perry dropped a third run in.

Garcia entered to close things out and seal a 20-5 win.

PLAYS OF THE GAME

1) Chapman lays out to end the first

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2) Blake Burke grand slam

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3) Chapman hits his second of the night

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UP NEXT

Now, the fourth-ranked Vols will travel to face third-ranked Kentucky in Lexington for a weekend series.

The Wildcats are 14-1 in SEC play and sit atop the conference standings.

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