Vols Top Mizzou in Nine Inning Grind to Remain Perfect in Conference Play

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– The No. 1 Tennessee BaseVols faced off against the Missouri Tigers (18-8, 3-6 SEC) in Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Friday Night and were victorious in an 8-3 nine-inning battle in Knoxville.

The Vols struggled early, as the Tigers took a quick 2-0 lead after Luke Mann delivered a two-run homer over the right-center wall in the top of the first.

Chase Burns continued his struggles throughout his 2.2 inning tenure, as the freshman record career-lows in innings pitched and total pitches (64) while tying a season-high in walks (4). Burns was pulled for junior lefty Will Mabrey in the top of the third with two outs and the bases loaded. Mabrey was able to get the orange and white out of the inning and keep the Tigers at two runs.

At the plate, Tennessee did not record a hit until the third inning, when Christian Scott cracked a single. But the Vols couldn't capitalize, as Tennessee's first run came in the fifth inning courtesy a single-run homer from Trey Lipscomb. Lipscomb's solo shot marked his team-leading 12th home run of the season, but Tennessee fell victim to another double play from the Tigers and were quickly escorted into the dugout.

In the sixth, the two squads traded runs as an RBI groundout from Drew Gilbert scored Lipcius to cut Mizzou's lead back to one run.

The Vols did not take their first lead of the game until the seventh inning. Jorel Ortega followed up a Christian Scott one-out double with one of his own to score the senior, and Cortland Lawson made it consecutive RBIs with a one-run single to score Ortega and give Tennessee the lead.

The Vols held their one-run lead into the bottom of the eighth, where Tennessee blew it open in LNS thanks to an Evan Russell three-run moonshot over the left-field wall. The homer marks the senior's seventh home run season and 27th RBI (third-best on the team).

Thanks to a walked RBI to score Kyle Booker, the Big Orange tacked on their eighth and final run.

Despite the Tigers' ability to tack on ten runs on the evening, the most by any SEC team against UT this season, the Vols' bullpen was able to get out of innings when needed.

Specifically, Will Mabrey forced a groundout to strand three Missouri runners, and the junior struck out the side in the next inning to strand two more Tigers.

Six Tennessee bullpen arms followed Mabrey, including Blade Tidwell, who recorded three punchouts to guide the Vols to the ensuing offensive explosion.

The Vols started slow in chilly Knoxville, but Tennessee was able to wear down the Tigers' bullpen and find the mandatory success at the plate to ultimately earn the 21st consecutive win in a row and tenth straight in the conference, which ties Florida for the best start to SEC play in history.

Photo Credit: UT Athletics Communications

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