Vols Win in Season Opener, 8-4

Friday, February 19

Chattanooga

5:00 PM

University of Tennessee

1-0

Memphis

0-1

Memphis

Tennessee

February 19, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 19, 2016

Box Score

Photo Gallery

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- In the Friday night opener of their 2016 season at AT&T Field, the Tennessee Volunteers jumped out to an early, five-run lead over Memphis and held on to take an 8-4 victory in Game 1 of the three-game series.

On the mound, left-handed starter Andy Cox went 4.0 innings, allowing just one run on three hits with four strikeouts to earn the win. The start marked the first for Cox since the 2015 SEC Tournament (May 19) and with the win, Cox now moves to an 11-6 career record as a senior for the Vols.

Right-hander Eric Freeman entered the game in the fifth, making his second career appearance with the Big Orange, and allowed two runs over 3.0 innings of work. Freshman and Knoxville native Will Neely then made his Tennessee debut in the eighth and fanned three of the nine batters he faced.

The Vols used a gritty style of offense to push across six runs in the first two innings, highlighted by a four-run second frame. The team also took advantage of four walks and two defensive miscues by the Tigers to secure a five-run lead over the next three innings. Memphis chipped away at the Vols' lead, plating three runs over the seventh and eighth innings, but the Vols' pitching staff and defense settled in to retire six of the last eight batters before they reached base.

Senior second baseman Jeff Moberg (1-for-2, 3 R) led Tennessee's scoring, reaching base safely via two walks and a hit-by-pitch and managing to score on all three chances. Freshman designated hitter Daniel Neal recorded multiple hits in his collegiate debut, going 2-for-4 on the night, while senior center fielder Derek Lance went 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.

"This team is a unit and they're resilient. There was a calming force from the moment we practiced last night," Head Coach Dave Serrano said after the game. "We had a good practice and usually that's not the case. This is my twelfth opener as a head coach and I've seen teams that have a little more anxiety. I think our experience and our older guys have helped that.

"I am proud that [Memphis] made their run at us a few times in this game but we were able to stop that. We didn't magnify that and I'm glad that they made some runs at us because we're learning about ourselves. When we were up 6-0, it could have been easy for us to extend it and then start to get sloppy, but they made a run at us and I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish tonight."

Vol Baseball Tidbits

With the win, Tennessee narrowed the all-time series lead for Memphis to 19-14.
The Vols improve to a 70-35-2 all-time record on Opening Day with an 8-4 win over Memphis.
Jeff Moberg's three runs scored vs. Memphis established a new single-game career high for the senior.
In Game 1 vs. Memphis, Tennessee started six seniors, including Tyler Schultz (C), Jeff Moberg (2B), Vincent Jackson (LF), Derek Lance (CF), Chris Hall (RF) and lefty Andy Cox.
Up Next for the Vols: On Saturday, Feb. 20, Tennessee right-hander Kyle Serrano takes the mound vs. Memphis sophomore Connor Alexander, with first pitch slated for 1 p.m. ET at AT&T Field, home of the Chattanooga Lookouts.
Friday night's attendance at AT&T Field: 1,768
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