Given how Tennessee's previous two midweek games went, Tuesday night's clash with Belmont was handled with relative ease.

In their final midweek game of the regular season before a key SEC series this weekend, the No. 1 Vols plated five runs in the first inning and never looked back in a 10-0 rout of the Bruins in seven innings at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

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Tennessee (43-10), which lost to Lipscomb two weeks ago and needed to come from behind to beat Queens last week, made an early statement with the top of its order.

Two days after combining for no hits in their series finale loss to Vanderbilt, Christian Moore and Billy Amick combined to go 3-for-7 and two RBIs while Hunter Ensley recorded three RBIs and Colby Backus and Reese Chapman homered in the sixth.

Tennessee's bullpen was dominant, starting with right-hander Dylan Loy, who tossed two strikeouts and gave up a hit in 2.0 innings of work.

Tennessee

1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B

2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B

3. Billy Amick (R) - 3B

4. Kavares Tears (L) - RF

5. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF

6. Hunter Ensley (R) - CF

7. Dean Curley (R) - SS

8. Cannon Peebles (B) - C

9. Colby Backus (R) - DH

LHP Dylan Loy

Belmont

1. Sam Slaughter (L) - RF

2. Jack Rando (R) - 2B

3. Mason Lander (R) - 3B

4. Brody Heaton (R) - 1B

5. Blake Barton (R) - C

6. Max Jones (R) - DH

7. Pete Daniel (R) - SS

8. Michael Lareau (L) - CF

9. Max Blessinger (R) - LF

RHP Jordan Zuger

Christian Moore faced eight pitches in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first, paying it off with a double down the left field line.

It gave Tennessee a runner in scoring position early and Billy Amick drove him home with a double of his own two at-bats later to give the Vols a 1-0 lead.

After the middle of the order drew a couple of walks, Hunter Ensley found a familiar spot with a one out double off the wall in left-center to plate three more runs, then Dean Curley reached on a throwing error that allowed Ensley to score and swell the Vols' lead to 5-0.

Belmont threatened in the third but J.J. Garcia, who entered for Dylan Loy out of the bullpen with two outs, stranded the runner on third to keep the Bruins scoreless.

Dylan Dreiling led off the bottom frame with a double to left-center and Ensley and Dean Curley drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with no outs.

Cannon Peebles flew out to left for the first out, but it was more than enough time for Dreiling to tag up and score from third to pull ahead 6-0. It was followed by a Colby Backus single through the right side to score Ensley and open up a 7-0 advantage.

Defensively, Tennessee continued to limit the Bruins' opportunities to get back in the game. Amick stretched out at third base to rob a hit in the fourth and Garcia and relievers Matthew Dallas and Marcus Phillips were on cruise control on the mound through six.

The Vols got their bats going again in the sixth, starting with a Colby Backus solo home run to lead off the frame. Moore homered in the next at-bat to give Tennessee a 9-0 lead.

Reese Chapman reached the run-rule threshold with the third homer of the frame, a two-out shot to the Vols' bullpen in right to get the Vols to 10 runs.

1. Billy Amick gives Tennessee an early lead with an RBI double in the first inning.

2. Hunter Ensley extends the Vols' lead with a three-RBI double.

3. Amick makes stretches at third base to rob a hit in the fourth.

Tennessee can make a run at an SEC title this weekend, but it will need some help.

The Vols are one game behind first place Kentucky in the overall league standings and tied with Arkansas heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

Tennessee will look to extend its series win streak to nine against South Carolina at home beginning Thursday. The three-game tilt runs through Saturday.

Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt and Arkansas plays Texas A&M.

The SEC Tournament begins Tuesday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.

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