University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
5-1
San Diego State
3-3
Late Rally Fuels Tennessee Past Aztecs, 8-4
February 25, 2017 | Baseball
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- A solo homer off the bat of redshirt senior Jeff Moberg kickstarted a dramatic, ninth inning rally on Friday as the Volunteers took an 8-4 win over San Diego State in Game Two at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
On Deck for the Vols: Tennessee takes on UC Irvine in its Tony Gwynn Classic tournament finale, set for Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) at Fowler Park.
For the sixth-straight game, the Volunteers beat their opponent to the boards and took a 1-0 lead in the first frame. With runners on the corners, catcher Benito Santiago grounded out to shortstop but scored Moberg from third.
Tennessee struck again in the fourth, when designated hitter Jay Charleston drilled an RBI-single up the middle to give outfielders Brodie Leftridge and Dom Thornton the chance to score. Charleston later came around on an RBI-single off the bat of Jordan Rodgers, making it a 4-0 advantage for the Vols.
Trading three-spots in the fourth, the Aztecs came back to load the bases and put up three runs to narrow the deficit to 4-3.
UT's one-run lead held until the bottom of the sixth, when SDSU scratched one run across on one hit, two walks and a throwing error by Vols center fielder Leftridge to tie things up at 4-4.
On a 1-1 count in the top of the ninth, Moberg hit a solo home run to fuel Tennessee's late rally. Santiago followed with an RBI-double to the center field wall before Thornton sliced a ball through the left side. The Vols went on to plate four runs in the frame to secure their 8-4 final.
Junior Zach Warren went 3.1 innings in his second start of the year, allowing three runs on three hits while punching three strikeouts to receive no decision.
Sophomore and El Cajon, Calif., native Daniel Vasquez relieved Warren in the fourth and threw 2.1 innings with four strikeouts in front of his hometown crowd.
Connor Darling (1.2 IP) took over the relief efforts in the sixth before Jon Lipinski (1.2 IP) came in to close and fireD back-to-back strikeouts in the ninth to earn the win.
Tennessee Quick Hits
- In its first-ever appearance at the Tony Gwynn Classic, Tennessee stands at 2-0 entering Game Three vs. UC Irvine on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the University of San Diego's Fowler Park.
- The Volunteers move to a 1-0 all-time record against San Diego State following Friday's first ever matchup.
- Tennessee has now scored first against each of its six opponents this season for a 5-1 record and has produced double-digit hits in four of its six games.
- Over six games to begin 2017, Volunteer freshmen have accounted for eight of UT's total 20 extra-base hits.
- Jeff Moberg recorded four hits vs. SDSU and now leads Tennessee with four multi-hit games this season. His ninth-inning homer marked his second of the season and the fourth for UT in six games.
- After making his second relief appearance of the year on Friday, Daniel Vasquez has now fanned six batters in his 4.2 total innings of work.
- Reliever Jon Lipinski recorded his first win of the season in relief and his first since May 10, 2016 vs. Belmont.
- Through UT's first six games, 14 total newcomers have made their Tennessee debuts in 2017 (including 11 freshmen).
- Tennessee played its first doubleheader since March 26, 2016, when the Vols split two games with the Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- Friday night's attendance at Tony Gwynn Stadium: 622
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lipinski, Jon (1-0)
L: ERICKSON (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Moberg, Jeff 1 ; Santiago, Benito 1
HR: Moberg, Jeff 1
RBI: Moberg, Jeff 1 ; Santiago, Benito 2 ; Leftridge, Brodie 1 ; Thornton, Dom 1 ; Charleston, Jay 1
SH: Southall, Reggie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moberg, Jeff 2 ; Ammons, Justin 1 ; Santiago, Benito 1 ; Leftridge, Brodie 2 ; Thornton, Dom 1 ; Charleston, Jay 1
SB: Leftridge, Brodie 1 ; Thornton, Dom 1
CS: Southall, Reggie 1
Batting:
RBI: WYLIE 1 ; NEVAREZ 1 ; HENSLEY 2
Base Running:
RUNS: SHEEHAN 1 ; VERDON 1 ; MARTINEZ 1 ; NEVAREZ 1
