KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee started its nine-game homestand off on the right foot with a 6-2 victory over in-state foe Belmont on a chilly Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Volunteers used seven pitchers on the night with Will Heflin earning his third win of the season after allowing just a single run on two hits in three innings of work.
The one-two punch of Justin Ammons and Jay Charleston at the top of UT’s lineup sparked the offense. The duo combined for three hits, three runs, three RBI and three stolen bases on the night.
For the sixth straight game the Vols scored in the first inning, striking for three runs to take a 3-0 lead into the second. Charleston and Pete Derkay both had RBI singles while Evan Russell also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
UT added another pair of runs in the second to extend its lead. Connor Pavolony scored on a wild pitch before Ammons trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Charleston to make it 5-0. Charleston hit his second sacrifice fly of the game to drive in his third run of the night in the bottom of the sixth to put the Vols ahead 6-1.
The Bruins got on the board in the third with a two-out triple from Zach Ehrhart to score Jackson Campbell all the way from first. Belmont also scored a run in the seventh on a single up the middle by Hagan Severance to cut its deficit to four, but the Bruins would get no closer than that.
The trio of Richard Jackson, Chase Silseth and Andrew Schultz combined for five strikeouts and did not allow a single hit over the final 2.1 innings. Freshman Elijah Pleasants also had another strong outing out of the bullpen, allowing just one walk in two shutout innings.
With the win, Tennessee improved to 8-1 in midweek games this season and has outscored its opponents 69-19 in those games.
NOTABLE
MORE RUNS IN THE FIRST: For the sixth straight game, the Vols were able to put runs on the board in the first inning after throwing up a three-spot on Tuesday night. UT has scored in the first 13 times this season and has outscored its opponents 30-14 in the inning.
CAREER HIGH FOR AMMO AND JAY: The top two hitters in Tennessee’s lineup did the majority of the damage for the Vols on Tuesday. Justin Ammons was on base three times with two hits and a walk and also scored a pair of runs while setting a new career high with three stolen bases. Jay Charleston had a hit and tied his career high with three runs batted in.
UP NEXT: Tennessee continues its brutal SEC slate this weekend when No. 5 Mississippi State visits Lindsey Nelson stadium for three games. The series will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and all three games will be streamed online via SEC Network+ and the WatchESPN app. Fans can also listen to the Vol Network radio broadcast (FM 99.1 / AM 990) as John Wilkerson and Vince Ferrara call the action.
Vols Pick Up Win No. 22 with Midweek Triumph Over Belmont
