University of Tennessee Athletics
Griffin and four UT HRs not enough
April 23, 2008 | Baseball
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ??? The Tennessee baseball team suffered just its fifth home loss in 24 tries this season when it dropped an 11-9 decision to ETSU Wednesday night at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Volunteers senior Shawn Griffin turned in a perfect night at the plate as UT fell to 24-17 on the year.
Griffin went 4-for-4 in the losing effort with two home runs, three RBI, four runs scored and a walk. The Hollywood, Fla., native posted his second multi-homer game of the year while raising his season average .346 and his season RBI total to 33.
Vols catcher Yan Gomes extended his current hit streak to 13 games with a two-hit performance.
Tennessee???which trailed 10-0 at one point???hit into three double plays while stranding 10 runners in the game.
???We just need to refocus,??? UT head coach Todd Raleigh said. ???I know this is going to sound crazy, but I thought we were ready to play. And I thought we were going to come back and win that game. We had a chance, and double plays just killed us.
???We battled back, but you just can???t spot anybody 10 runs.???
ETSU (12-29) was quick to jump out to a three-run lead in the top of the first inning. Bucs first baseman Paul Hoilman drove in a pair with a two-run homer, which was immediately preceded by an RBI single off the bat of third baseman Anthony Russell.
After a scoreless second inning, the Buccaneers erupted for seven runs on six hits in the third. The barrage included home runs by left fielder Troy Mendez, right fielder Derek Trent and designated hitter Bart Roark???whose solo homer gave ETSU a comfortable 10-0 lead.
Griffin put the Big Orange on the scoreboard with a solo home run to centerfield in the bottom of the third. It was the senior???s team-leading ninth longball of the season and the 15th of his career. But his big night was far from over.
Tennessee added a pair of homers in the bottom of the fourth while pulling to within five runs. Freshman designated hitter P.J. Polk crushed a two-run blast to left field, and Griffin later followed with his second dinger of the game???this time a two-run bomb that hit the batter???s eye above the wall in centerfield.
An RBI groundout by Mendez in the top of the fifth pushed the Bucs??? lead back up to six runs, 11-5.
After going 3-for-3 with a single and a pair of homers in his first three plate appearances, Griffin drew a two-out walk in the sixth. Gomes followed with a single up the middle, and when ETSU centerfielder Jacob Fabry struggled to field the ball, Raleigh waved Griffin safely home.
Tennessee continued to chip away at the Bucs lead in the seventh. Right fielder Josh Liles drew a valuable leadoff walk in the inning, as third baseman Cody Brown followed with a two-run homer that cut ETSU???s lead to three runs, 11-8. Brown???s homer was UT???s fourth of the game and the junior???s sixth of the season.
Griffin scored UT???s final run of the game when he came home on a double-play ball in the eighth.
Starting pitcher Steve Crnkovich (5-5) absorbed the loss for UT after being touched for six runs. Ty???Relle Harris, Danny Wiltz and Nick Hernandez combined to keep the Bucs hitless through the final 4 1/3 innings, with Harris totaling four strikeouts in his 2 1/3 inning appearance.
Josh Means (2-7) picked up the win for ETSU, while Brandon Langston worked the ninth and logged his third save of the season.
The Vols tied a season-high with four home runs in the game, but their four homers allowed also tied a season-high. Tennessee out-hit the Bucs 12-11 Wednesday.
Tennessee leads the all-time series with ETSU 55-11, dating to 1967.
The Vols now travel to Starkville, Miss., this weekend for a three-game Southeastern Conference series against Mississippi State at Dudy Noble Field. Game times are set for 6:30 p.m. CT Friday, 2 p.m. CT Saturday and 1:30 p.m. CT Sunday.
