Tennessee's bats went cold for three innings, but it didn't matter

The Vols plated five in the first two innings along with nine hits to build an early lead, then used its pitching and another big performance at the plate from Blake Burke in a 8-2 win over Charleston Southern on Wednesday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Tennessee right-handed pitcher Jake Fitzgibbons (2-0) earned the win, tossing two strikeouts while giving up one hit in 2.0 innings of work.

The Vols tallied 13 hits and an error while the Buccaneers totaled five hits and an error.

Burke, who finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs and a home run, paid off a pair of base runners with a single to right field that scored Christian Moore and Jared Dickey in the bottom of the first.

Griffin Merritt added another run with a fly out to extend the Vols' lead to 3-0.

Two more runs scored in the second off of a Moore ground out RBI and a Zane Dentonsingle to right, but Tennessee (8-2) cooled down over the next three innings as its pitching took over.

Starting right-hander A.J. Russell, Fitzgibbons, Andrew Lindsey and Zach Joyce combined for nine strikeouts and allowing just one hit in the first six innings before Charleston Southern (3-6) scored its first and only run on a Sergio DeCello RBI single in the seventh inning.

Tennessee had reestablished its offensive rhythm by then, though. In the inning before, Burke sent a two-run home run over the wall in left, then shortstop Muai Ahuna's single scored pinch-runner Christian Scott in the seventh.

Tennessee hosts Gonzaga in a three-game series beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network Plus.

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