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First pitch: 4 p.m. ET
Stream: SEC Network+
Listen: Click here (FREE)
Live Stats: Click here
Starting Lineup:
Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s win.
Rounding 1st — Chase Burns shines in debut
Vols freshman RHP Chase Burns (W, 1-0) made his first career start on Friday and led Tennessee to a win. In his first appearance for the Big Orange, Burns pitched five scoreless innings and only gave up two hits on 70 pitches. Burns allowed just one walk and struck out five.
Rounding 2nd — Vols flex the power
Third baseman Trey Lipscomb, second baseman Jorel Ortega, designated hitter Seth Stephenson and outfielder Christian Scott all went deep in the opener to account for eight of the nine runs.
Lipscomb hit a two-run homer in the fourth, Stephenson hit a two-run homer in the fifth, Ortega hit a three-run homer in the fifth and Scott hit a solo home run as a pinch-hitter in the seventh.
Rounding 3rd — Camden Sewell makes an appearance
Despite Tony Vitello saying earlier in the week that senior RHP Camden Sewell was unlikely to pitch this weekend due to a finger injury, Sewell was the first arm out of the bullpen following Burns.
Sewell was terrific in two scoreless innings of work. He only threw 15 pitches, didn't give up a hit or a walk and struck out two.
Headed for Home — Record Opening Day Crowd
A record Opening Day crowd of 4,335 was in attendance at Lindsey Nelson Stadium to watch the Vols win their opener. The previous record was 2,812 in the 2012 opener.
Key Plays:
B-2nd: Tennessee 0, Georgia Southern 0
Trey Lipscomb comes up with the first hit of the game, an opposite field single to right field with one out. Luc Lipcius and Evan Russell then struck out back-to-back to end the inning and strand Lipscomb.
B-3rd: Tennessee 0, Georgia Southern 0
Jorel Ortega leads off the inning with an infield single. Cortland Lawson then bounced into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.
T-4th: Tennessee 0, Georgia Southern 0
Georgia Southern laid down a drag bunt for its first hit of the game, but Chase Burns bounces back up with a pop up to left, pop up to right and a strikeout to strand the runner and get out of the inning.
B-4th: Tennessee 2, Georgia Southern 0
Vols third baseman Trey Lipscomb hits a two-run homer to provide the first runs of the season and give Tennessee a 2-0 lead.
Logan Chambers reached on a walk to lead off the inning and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Drew Gilbert then advanced him to third on a ground ball. With two outs, Lipscomb hit a homer to left.
T-5th: Tennessee 2, Georgia Southern 0
After Chase Burns give up a leadoff walk and a one-out single to put runners on first and second with one out, Burns gets a strikeout and a weak pop up to second to get out of the jam and inning.
B-5th: Tennessee 4, Georgia Southern 0
Junior college signee Seth Stephenson hits a two-run homer off the newly-added second porch in left field to put the Vols up 4-0. Jorel Ortega led off the inning with an infield single.
T-6th: Tennessee 4, Georgia Southern 0
Chase Burns' day is over. Despite Tony Vitello saying on Tuesday that Camden Sewell is likely out this weekend due to a finger injury, the senior righty is the first man out of the bullpen to start the sixth.
Burns' final line: 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K, 70 pitches (47 strikes)
B-6th: Tennessee 7, Georgia Southern 0
Jorel Ortega hits a three-run homer to extend the lead to 7-0. Trey Lipscomb singled to right-center and Luc Lipcius walked to get runners on base.
Exit velocity on Ortega's homer was 101. Traveled 407 feet.
B-7th: Tennessee 8, Georgia Southern 0
Vols outfielder Christian Scott steps to the plate as a pinch-hitter and hits a bomb to right field. It extends the lead to 8-0.
T-8th: Tennessee 8, Georgia Southern 0
Junior LHP Kirby Connell comes in for the eighth.
Camden Sewell's final line: 2.0 IP, 15 pitches (13 strikes), 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K
B-8th: Tennessee 9, Georgia Southern 0
With the bases loaded, Christian Scott worked a walk to extend the lead to 9-0.
Box Score
Weekend Schedule
Friday, February 18
Game 1 – Georgia Southern vs. Tennessee – 4:00 p.m. ET
Saturday, February 19
Game 2 – Georgia Southern vs. Tennessee – 1:00 p.m. ET
Sunday, February 20
Game 3 – Georgia Southern vs. Tennessee – 1:00 p.m. ET
