After winning two games and dropping one in Arlington, Texas to open the season, Tennessee baseball returned to Knoxville for its home opener.
The Vols hosted UNC Asheville inside the newly renovated Lindsey Nelson Stadium and took the match 3-2.
The 4,699 fans in attendance topped last season's number for a home opener to set a new school record on Tuesday, as well.
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Starting the mid-week clash for the Vols was freshman Derek Schaefer who tossed three full innings while allowing just one earned run. He surrendered two hits and a walk and struck out three batters.
It was Austin Hunley who grabbed their first win of the season, though. He pitched 3.1 innings while only allowing three hits, no runs and striking out two.
At the plate, Tennessee only produced three runs. This came on five hits as the bats never fully woke up. The Vols hit for a poor average of .179 that dropped to .167 with runners on and .125 with runners in scoring position.
It was Kavares Tears who had the nicest day at the plate, recording two hits including a solo shot to produce a run and RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNC Asheville threatened early. With freshman Schaefer on the mound, the Bulldogs put a pair on base through a walk and single before recording an out. Schaefer would record two outs through a strikeout and warning track fly-out, but UNC Asheville grabbed one before the inning was over.
A Cameron Johnson single to right scored the run but Robbie Burnett was gunned downed by Kavares Tears trying to leg it to third for the final out of the frame.
Entering the bottom of the first, Tennessee trailed by a single run. It couldn't get it back, either, after the top of the lineup went down in order.
After Schaefer settled in for a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second, the Vols got the run back. Tears led off the inning with a line driver home run to left that was 100 mph off the bat and traveled 367 feet. Blake Burke would also hit a double in the frame but he was stranded at third.
Schaefer's final inning of work came in the third as he sat down his sixth straight batter. On the other side, Sam Thompson came into the game for the starter Michael Groves. Thompson couldn't survive the frame, though, with a wild pick-off attempt moving Dylan Dreiling to third and Christian Moore driving him in to take a 2-1 lead.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: LOOK: Tennessee baseball's Lindsey Nelson Stadium remodeled for home opener
Tennessee threatened to score more on the two-out rally but Billy Amick hit Tears between second and third to end the inning.
Andrew Behnke would enter in the top of the fourth. It wasn't until there were two outs in the fifth inning that he slipped up, though. He allowed a solo shot to Ben Hemphill that tied the game at two.
In the top of the sixth, Behnke would allow two runners with two outs and the score tied at two. His night was finished at this point with Austin Hunley entering. Hunley gave up a single to load the bases but got an unassisted fielders choice from Ethan Payne at second to keep UNC Asheville off the board.
Tennessee finally retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Robin Villeneuve led off the inning by drawing a walk before the pinch-hitting Dalton Bargo was hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs. Cannon Peebles moved Bradke Lohry, who pinch-ran for Villeneuve, to third after pinch-hitting himself. Then, Hunter Ensley lifted a sac-fly to bring him home.
The bottom of the seventh featured another opportunity for Tennessee but it wasn't taken advantage of. Moore got on base to lead-off the inning but was ultimately stranded at third.
To finish things off, Hunley remained in the game. He sat down the Bulldogs in order to wrap things up.
PLAY OF THE GAME
It was a slow day at the plate for Tennessee. While it produced just three runs on five hits, the first RBI was the most memorable.
Smacking the first home run in Lindsey Nelson Stadium on the season was Tears. The power-hitting lefty was slotted in the cleanup position where he flexed his muscles.
To lead off the bottom of the second inning, he took one opposite field to tie the game at one. The line drive was 100 mph off the bat and traveled 367 feet.
WHAT THEY SAID
UP NEXT
Tennessee will be back in Lindsey Nelson Stadium tomorrow for a clash with ETSU. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. ET and will air on SEC Network+.
This will be the second game of a 15-game home stand that will be snapped by a trip to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama.
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