University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Lipscomb
Tennessee Baseball Wins Big Over Lipscomb, 17-3
April 08, 2009 | Baseball
April 8, 2009
Tennessee pounded out 19 hits, including home runs by Charley Thurber and Josh Liles, and scored multiple runs in three innings to defeat Lipscomb 17-3 on Wednesday night at Robert M. Lindsay Field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Seven of nine Volunteer starters collected two hits as Tennessee (13-20) matched its season high of 19. Thurber finished the game 2-for-5 with three RBIs and P.J. Polk added two more RBIs with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
"It is good to see us swing the bats like we did tonight," UT coach Todd Raleigh said. "When you get Cody Hawn and Cody Brown in there at the same time the dynamics of our team are totally different. We are a lot more offensive. It was good not just scoring runs but how we scored the runs. We got a lot of big hits; a lot of guys did the right things."
Lipscomb falls to 13-19 and has lost nine of its last ten games.
Volunteer starter Ty'Relle Harris (3-2) pitched five innings, allowing one run on three hits while issuing two walks and striking out seven.
Lipscomb right hander Charles Williams (1-5) surrendered eight runs on eight hits through two innings of work. Williams did not issue a walk and struck out two.
Tennessee sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the first and scored five runs on three hits to take a 5-0 lead. The inning was highlighted by a three-run home run by Thurber. Tyler Horne and Cody Brown scored on the home run after back-to-back RBI singles.
Lipscomb catcher Jay Moreland led off the top of the third inning with a solo home run to right field, making the score 5-1.
The Volunteers took an 11-1 lead with a six-run third inning. Polk's two-run single got the scoring started. Polk then scored when shortstop Zach Osborne was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Osborne then scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Liles scored on a groundout by Cody Hawn and catcher Blake Forsythe capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center.
Liles gave Tennessee a 12-1 advantage with a solo home run to right-center field in the bottom of the fifth inning. The homer was his seventh of the season.
Lipscomb tallied two runs in the top of the eighth to make the score 13-3.
Tennessee added four runs on three hits in the bottom of the eight to take a 17-3 lead.
Steven Gruver, Dylan Hochevar, Josh Allman and Matt Ramsey pitched the final four innings out of the bullpen for Tennessee.
The Volunteers return to Southeastern Conference action this weekend when they host Mississippi State for a three-game series. Game times are set for 7 p.m. Eastern time Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. All three games will be televised regionally on SportSouth.
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