KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Consistent offense and a strong effort on the mound earned Tennessee its 10th midweek victory of the season after beating Xavier, 10-1, Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
UT (38-3) had a shutout for 26 of the 27 outs in the game, getting a terrific evening on the hill from all seven of its arms. Zander Sechrist was electric, turning in the longest outing of his career with 5.1 shutout innings. He struck out four while only allowing three baserunners. The sophomore southpaw tallied his fourth win of the season.
Trey Lipscomb posted his 17th multi-hit game of the season, while Cortland Lawson and Jordan Beck drove in three and two RBIs, respectively. Lawson also blasted Tennessee’s only home run of the game, his eighth big fly of the season.
Xavier (21-21) scored its only run in the top of the ninth inning after three-straight two out hits, jumpstarted by Andrew Walker’s triple to right center, to break up the shutout bid.
The Volunteers jumped ahead early as Drew Gilbert plated Seth Stephenson with an RBI single in the first inning. An inning later, Lawson turned on an inside fastball and smoked it high into the evening sky for a two-run blast that also drove in Luc Lipcius.
The Big Orange scored another run in the fourth before putting up a crooked number in the sixth to break the game wide open. A dropped fly ball with two outs from Xavier’s right fielder allowed two runs to score and extended the inning. Tennessee recorded four hits and a walk in the next five plate appearances to drive in four more runs.
Stephenson started it with an RBI single to center, and then Beck pummeled a 2-2 fastball over the center fielder’s head for a two-run double. Logan Steenstra capped the scoring in the inning with a pinch-hit single to finish the offensive onslaught and give the Big Orange a 10-0 lead.
UP NEXT: The Volunteers welcome No. 17/19 Auburn to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a SEC weekend series scheduled for Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m., before a Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s contests will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.
NOTABLE
STRIKING EARLY: Tennessee scored in the first inning for the 20th time this season. The Vols are outscoring their opponents, 139-23, in the first three innings of games this season.