Tennessee baseball has put together its second sweep in SEC play in just three series played.
After the Vols swept Florida at home and took the series at Alabama, they continued to stay hot with a 7-2 game three win at South Carolina to nab their third win in as many days.
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Tennessee (26-2, 8-1 SEC) used 12 hits to push across the seven runs. This came with the help of back-to-back home runs from Hunter Ensley and Andrew Fischer.
On the mound, Tegan Kuhns got the start vs. the Gamecocks (17-12, 1-8). The freshman went four full innings while giving up one run on six hits. He struck out one and walked one.
In relief, Brayden Krenzel was extremely effective. He went the remaining four innings while allowing four hits for just one run. He struck out four batters and walked two.
This freshman duo combined to make South Carolina's bats stay reasonably silent throughout the game.
WHAT HAPPENED
Tennessee fell into an early hole in game three. The Vols allowed a run to cross off a single in the bottom of the first to make it a 1-0 deficit.
However, Tennessee grabbed that run back and more in the fourth. Ensley ripped a two-RBI single to take the lead. After that, a two-out Manny Marin single pushed across another to make it a 3-1 advantage.
In the following inning, Tennessee continued to pour it on. The Vols got a Dalton Bargo single to score another and Reese Chapman double to make it a 5-1 lead after five.
In the bottom of the sixth, South Carolina pushed back. It used an RBI single to push across a run to make it a three-run game.
However, in the top of the seventh, Ensley went yard with a solo shot to left field. In the following at-bat, Fischer took one deep to center field on a 3-0 count. This put the score at 7-2 and forced the Gamecocks into another pitching change.
That would be it for the scoring as pitching and defense took over. The Krenzel slammed the door shut with the comfortable cushion to earn the sweep.
UP NEXT
Tennessee baseball will return home for a mid-week clash with Tennessee Tech on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET on SECN+.
Then, the Vols will host Texas A&M for a weekend series in a rematch of the 2024 College World Series championship. The series will be held Friday through Sunday with first pitch times set for 7 p.m., 6 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Friday will air on ESPNU and Sunday will air on ESPN2.
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