University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Run Past Dayton, 9-3
February 24, 2001 | Baseball
Knoxville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Volunteers stole 11 bases while benefiting from four Dayton errors and nine walks as they posted a 9-3 win over the Flyers to improve to 8-1 on the season. Dayton fell to 0-2.
The Vols were able to muster just five hits against the Flyers with first baseman Dennis Gomez collecting two, including a double. Shawn Bolinger went 3-for-5 with one RBI to pace the nine-hit Dayton attack.
Once the Vols reached base, they wrecked havoc as Jeff Christensen swiped a career-high four bags, while Stevie Daniel swiped three and Chris Burke added two more. Dan Wilson and Hunter Rigsby each had one.
Devon Nicholson (2-0) picked up the win for the Vols as he worked five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits. Tennessee's bullpen, which has been strong all season, shut out the Flyers over the final four innings, giving up just two hits. Patrick Hicklen struckout three in two innings, while Justin Parker and Joe Bertolino finished the game with a scoreless inning apiece.
As has been the case for most of the season, Tennessee was able to use the big inning to put the game out of reach. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, the Vols tacked up four runs in the bottom of the frame. With two out, the Vols drew three straight walks to load the bases before Javi Herrera lined a double to left to put Tennessee up 2-1. Two more walks and a catcher's interference call plated two more Tennessee runs for a 4-1 lead.
Dayton added a single run in the fourth on a ground out by Jeff Bourassa, but the Vols bounced right back to take a 7-1 in the bottom of the frame on a two-run single by Christensen and sacrifice fly by Matt Sternberg.
Brooks Vogel drove in the Flyers' third run in the fifth while Tennessee added single runs in the sixth and eighth innings on a wild pitch and the fourth Dayton error, respectively.
Michael Rolih (0-1) was saddled with loss as he allowed seven runs (three earned) on three hits while giving up eight walks.
Tennessee and Dayton will play the final game of the series, Sunday at 2 p.m.
Dayton 100 110 000 - 3 9 4Tennessee 400 301 01x - 9 5 1PitchersDayton - Rolih, Pool (5) and Vogel, Wahl (7). Tennessee - Nicholson, Hicklen (6), Parker (8), Bertolino (9) and Herrera. W-Nicholson (2-0). L-Rolih (0-1). T-2:46. Att-1287.
