Tennessee baseball continued its excellent showing in the Astros Foundation Classic in Houston.
The Vols powered past Rice 13-3
to mark its second win in the event in as many days.
This came after Tennessee (10-0) downed Oklahoma State on Friday in the event. This time, it was the Owls (2-7) who were on the tracks for the Vols' dominant start on the mound and at the plate resulting in 10 uncontested wins to open the year.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Getting the ball to start was Marcus Phillips. He allowed a run in the first inning off a wild pitch with the bases loaded, but settled in nicely afterward. Phillips went 4.2 innings while giving up five hits and a run while striking out eight.
After Phillips, Brayden Sharp entered. He went 1.1 innings issuing one walk, no hits and striking out two.
Nic Abraham, Michael Sharman, Austin Breedlove, Tanner Wiggins and Brayden Krenzel followed to round out the game.
At the plate, it was another healthy dose of power. Levi Clark ripped his fifth home run of his young freshman season despite still battling for consistent plate appearances given the depth of the roster.
Gavin Kilen also continued his hot streak. After roping two home runs in Friday's win over the Cowboys, Kilen found the outfield seats again with a solo shot.
That wasn’t it for him, either. He hit his fourth home run in two days with another home run in the seventh. He also smacked a two-RBI triple. He also decided a double to finish 4-for-5 with four RBI, five runs and a walk.
WHAT HAPPENED
Tennessee got its offense rolling early, but without necessarily using its bats. The Vols put up three runs in the first inning without a single hit.
Instead, Tennessee used a double steal and error, throwing error and sacrifice fly to go along with four walks to put the trio of runs on the board.
In the bottom of the frame, Phillips got the ball. He allowed a run to score by tossing a wild pitch with one out and the bases loaded. He stopped the bleeding there, though.
The Vols would have his back in the top of the second. The bats finally woke up with two outs in the inning. After Kilen doubled, Hunter Ensley singled to push him home. Then, with two on, Clark hit a home run to make it a 7-1 game.
Tennessee and Rice would trade 1-2-3 innings before the bats sparked back up in the top of the fourth. It was Kilen who went yard for a solo shot to make it a seven-run game.
Phillips was pulled for Sharp who got out of the fifth. Kilen would add to the lead in the sixth with another home run.
In the seventh, Rice found some success and put up two runs on the Vols’ bullpen. Tennessee fired back with a Kilen triple to score two.
Ensley singled for another RBI, as well. To make it a nine-run game in the middle of the eighth.
In the ninth, Tennessee got another boost to make it a 10-run advantage. Stone Lawless doubled off the wall to push across one more.
UP NEXT
Tennessee has one final game remaining in its trip to Houston. Sunday morning, at 11:05 a.m. ET, the Vols will face Arizona.
You can watch the game on Astros.com.
Tennessee returns to Knoxville on Tuesday to face Radford. The Vols will turn around to play Xavier the following day. That's before St. Bonaventure comes to town for a weekend slate of games.
Next week is the last full week of out-of-conference games. Tennessee opens its SEC slate at home against Florida from March 14-16.
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