University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
UC Irvine
Vols Outlast Anteaters, 12-10
February 28, 2015 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. -- In the series finale of Tennessee's weekend series at UC Irvine, the Vols put up a season-high 17 hits en route to an 12-10 win over the Anteaters at Anteater Ballpark.
Saturday's contest put the Vols back at .500 (4-4) on the season, while they also set a new season high for runs scored. Tennessee's 12 runs marks their most runs scored since May 13, 2014, when the team plated 14 in an extra-innings game against Morehead State at Lindsey Nelson Stadium (W, 14-13).
"This was a great team win," Head Coach Dave Serrano said. "The offense picked up the pitching and the defense and that's what complete teams do. I'm very proud of how we just kept scrapping and scrapping and in those types of games, when you get leads and then you give them up, you get frustrated. But there was a lot of good execution and that's what happens when you score as many runs as we did today."
The Vols jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, with center fielder Vincent Jackson kickstarting a string of four hits in the inning. Jackson and A.J. Simcox reached base safely on back-to-back outfield hits before left fielder Christin Stewart belted a two-RBI double off of the right-center field wall. After moving to third on an outfield single delivered by second baseman Nick Senzel, Stewart later scored on a sacrifice fly to right field from designated hitter Andrew Plunkett.
UC Irvine answered in the bottom of the first, plating four runs on four hits, but Tennessee came back swinging in the third. Stewart led off and reached base safely after being hit by a pitch, his fifth of the season. In the next at-bat, Senzel crushed an RBI-triple to the left field wall, scoring Stewart to tie the game at 4-4. Plunkett gave Tennessee the go-ahead run on a single to left field and reached third thanks to a standup double from third baseman Jordan Rodgers in the next at-bat. Then, on a perfectly executed attempt from senior first baseman Parker Wormsley, Plunkett scored on a squeeze bunt play to make it a 6-4 UT advantage.
The Anteaters made it a one-run game in the bottom of the third. Tennessee's bats stayed alive in the fourth, as the Vols made another successful squeeze attempt to bring home freshman Brodie Leftridge and later score Stewart after loading the bases via two walks and a hit by pitch for Jordan Rodgers.
In the sixth, Plunkett came through with a huge, two-run home run over the left field wall to further UT's lead to 10-7. The back-and-forth offensive slugfest continued through the rest of the game, including a comeback sixth frame for the Anteaters to tie the game at 10-10. In the seventh, UT pushed another go-ahead run across, when Leftridge led off with a double to left field and came across to score on a fielder's choice groundout by Simcox.
Leftridge then led off the ninth frame with a triple to left field and came in to score on a sacrifice fly to right by Stewart, giving Tennessee the 12-10 lead.
"I'm very proud of Brodie Leftridge," Serrano said. "We've noticed as a coaching staff that he's worked extremely hard and he's earned the right to get in there. I told the team before the game, we're looking for nine guys that are going to give us the best chance to win in this program. He stepped up today."
The Vols' lineup produced seven extra-base hits on Saturday, led by Leftridge with two doubles and a triple against UC Irvine.
Tennessee's bullpen dealt through tough innings against the Anteaters on Saturday, including appearances from right-handers Steven Kane, Hunter Martin (1-0) and Peter Lenstrohm, who held UC Irvine to preserve UT's lead and get the save. Lefty starter Drake Owenby received no decision in his third appearance of the year, tossing 3.2 innings and allowing six runs on 3.2 innings pitched.
The Vols look to host Middle Tennessee State (Tuesday, March 3) and Morehead State (Wednesday, March 4) upon their return from California next week. The contests will mark Tennessee's first home games of the 2015 season, due to cancellations from inclement weather.
