Published May 11, 2025
Two Andrew Fischer home runs not enough for Tennessee to beat Vanderbilt
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Ryan Sylvia  •  VolReport
Assistant Managing Editor
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Tennessee baseball got a pair of home runs from Andrew Fischer, but fell short in a decisive game three vs. Vanderbilt.

With a weather delay sandwiched in the middle of the game, the No. 15 Vols dropped Sunday's affair with the No. 11 Commodores, 7-5 to fall in the series at home.

Fischer was responsible for two hits in five at-bats while racking up three RBI and two runs. This accounted for over half the team's runs in the game.

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On the mound, freshman Tegan Kuhns got the start. He went 3.2 innings while allowing three hits, two runs (one earned), a walk and striking out five.

Behind Kuhns, fellow freshman Brayden Krenzel entered. He gave up one run in 1.2 innings of work.

This made way for a collection of Tennessee's best bullpen arms to be strung together with not much success. Tanner Franklin ran into trouble, recording one out and allowing two runs. Dylan Loy got tagged by a solo shot for a run in one frame of pitching. Nate Snead went the rest of the way, 2.1 innings, while allowing a solo shot with two outs and two strikes in the ninth.

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WHAT HAPPENED

In the theme of Tennessee's 2025 season, mistakes cost it in the first. Kuhns allowed a single before a muffed throw by Fischer at first on a pickoff attempt allowed the runner to reach second.

On the steal of third, a throwing error by Cannon Peebles let the run cross.

In the bottom of the inning, Tennessee got the run back off the bat of Fischer. He skied one off the scoreboard in right field and let Vanderbilt hear about it as he rounded the bases.

This led to the dugouts being warned but no ejections.

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The Commodores responded instantly after, though. They used a solo shot in the top of the second off Kuhns to grab back their one-run lead.

However, Tennessee snagged the run back right away. The Vols used Dean Curley getting on due to an error and a Levi Clark double to put two on with one out. Cannon Peebles produced a sac-fly to push across the tying run. This knotted the game up at two a piece after two innings.

The third saw runners get on for both Tennessee and Vanderbilt but no damage done. In the top of the fourth with two outs, Krenzel entered for Kuhns. He allowed one hit, a ball that struck him in the leg, but used a Curley sliding play up the middle to get out of the inning.

Tennessee would put a pair on base in the fourth, but stranded both.

Vanderbilt got the lead back in the fifth off an RBI single. The Vols once again, for the third time this game, responded in the same inning with a run of their own, though. This time, Curley knocked one through for an RBI.

In the sixth, after one out, Krenzel handed the ball to Franklin. He struck out the first batter he saw before nearly allowing a home run. Instead, Chris Newstrom got his glove on a ball to keep it in play and hold the runner to a triple.

It ultimately wouldn't matter, though. Vanderbilt homered in the next at-bat. This made way for Loy to enter and get out of the inning. However, before Loy could throw a warmup pitch from the mound, the game was put under weather delay due to lightning within eight miles of the stadium.

When play resumed over an hour later, Loy finally began his outing. However, he allowed a solo home run to push the Commodores' lead up to three.

Fischer wasn't okay with that, though. He blasted his second homer of the game, a two-run shot, to bring it back to 6-5 heading into the seventh.

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After getting two outs in the seventh, Loy was pulled for Snead. He left the inning with no damage done.

In the bottom of the seventh, Tennessee moved Dalton Bargo to third off a passed ball and ground out. After Clark was plunked, it put runners on the corners with two outs for Peebles. He would line out out left on the first pitch.

Neither team got it going in the eighth, leading to a critical ninth with the Vols trailing by one. In the top of the inning, Snead got caught. With two strikes and two outs, he left a fastball over the plate that got sent to the porches for a solo home run.

This set up Tennessee to need two runs to tie and three to win in the bottom of the ninth. Hunter Ensley responded with a lead-off single but Bargo popped out in the following at-bat. Curley got on base right after, though, with a single to left.

This put Blake Grimmer to the plate as the winning run. He got a hold of one, but it died at the warning track in dead center for the second out. This put Clark up with two outs and the same situation. He would walk to load the bases with two down.

This brought up Peebles with the game on the line and the tying run in scoring position. Vanderbilt met at the mound before his at-bat to talk things over but stuck with the same pitcher.

Peebles struck out in three pitches and the Vols fell.

UP NEXT

Following the series with Vanderbilt, the Vols will host Belmont for their home finale. Tuesday's first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on SECN+.

Then, Tennessee will round out the regular season with a Thursday through Saturday series at Arkansas.

The SEC Tournament is scheduled to take place from May 20-25. It is a single-elimination format this season. It will air on SEC Network.

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