Lipscomb Knocks Off Tennessee (UT Athletics)
No. 3/3 Tennessee had its 15-game midweek win streak snapped on Tuesday night after a 9-6 loss to Lipscomb at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols jumped out to an early 4-1 lead after two innings but struggled in the middle frames as the Bisons scored six unanswered runs to take a 7-4 lead into the seventh.
Lipscomb (16-27) scored in four consecutive innings from the third to the sixth and added two more in the eighth after UT pulled within two runs after scratching across a run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Leadoff hitter Alex Vergara did a lot of the damage, going 3-for-4 with a double and two of the Bisons' four home runs while third baseman David Coppedge also had a big night at the plate, going 4-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored.
Six of the seven pitchers that saw action for Tennessee allowed a run with Nate Snead being the lone hurler who posted a scoreless outing, striking out a pair over 1.2 hitless innings.
The duo of Blake Burke and Billy Amick provided the majority of the offense for the Vols, combining for five hits, three runs and three RBIs.
Burke drove in a pair with a two-out double in the second inning to spot UT an early three-run lead.
Amick also had a double and hit his 17
th home run of the year with a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth.
Lipscomb starting pitcher Ryan Kutz settled in after a rough start to get the win after pitching five innings, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks. Relievers Tanner Lyne and Collin Witzke pitched the final four innings, holding UT to two runs on four hits while striking out six.
STAT OF THE GAME: Tuesday night's defeat snapped a 15-game winning streak in midweek games for the Big Orange. Their last midweek loss prior to Tuesday was a 12-5 setback against Tennessee Tech on April 18, 2023. UT was 11-0 on the year in midweek games entering the night.
UP NEXT: Tennessee (37-8, 15-6 SEC) will look to quickly put this one in the rearview and turn its attention towards an important SEC East showdown at Florida, which begins on Thursday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 in Gainesville.