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How it Happened: Five-run first inning fuels Vols in 9-4 win over Kentucky

On3 imageby:Eric Cain•04/20/24•

_Cainer

Christian Moore celebrates after a four-hit day against Kentucky. Credit: UT Athletics
Christian Moore celebrates after a four-hit day against Kentucky. Credit: UT Athletics

LEXINGTON, KY — Tennessee exploded out of the gates for five runs off five extra-base hits, fueled by back-to-back homers from Christian Moore and Blake Burke, in the first inning to slug its way to the 9-4 win over Kentucky in game two of the series.

Game three of the Southeastern Conference series will be on Sunday at 1 o’clock eastern time. It’ll be the fifth rubber match this season for UT in conference play.

The No. 4 Vols (32-7, 11-6 SEC) hammered five home runs and registered eight extra-base hits on their way to the series split in game two. The No. 3 Wildcats (32-6, 15-2 SEC) picked up two runs in the bottom of the first with two more in the fifth inning.  

Right-handed reliver Aaron Combs (1-1) earned the win on the mound after tossing a career-high 4.2 innings of no-run baseball. Starter Dominic Niman (7-3) is the losing pitcher on the day after allowing five runs while not collected an out in the first inning.

The two teams will return to Proud Park on Sunday to see who takes home the series win, but first, here’s how it all went down for the Big Orange in game two on Saturday.

Postgame Video

Scoring Summary

Top 1: Christian Moore led off the game with a home run to right field. Vols 1-0

Top 1: Blake Burke followed with a home run to right field. Vols 2-0

Top 1: Kavares Tears doubled in a runner on a ball to the right-center wall. Vols 3-0
Top 1: Dylan Dreiling slapped an RBI double to the corner in left. Vols 4-0
Top 1: Dean Curley doubled in a run to left field. Vols 5-0

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Bot 1: Ryan Waldschmidt lined a home run over the left field wall. Vols 5-1
Bot 1: Mitchell Daly singled in a runner on a base-hit to centerfield. Vols 5-2
Top 2: Kavares Tears homered to the opposite field left on a laser shot. Vols 6-2

Top 5: Dylan Dreiling sent a solo home run to right field. Vols 7-2

Top 5: Christian Moore singled in a runner from second base. Vols 8-2
Bot 5: Emilien Pitre doubles in a runner to the left field corner. Vols 8-3
Bot 5: RBI single up the middle from Grant Smith. Vols 8-4
Top 8: Dylan Dreiling homered for the second time in the ballgame. Vols 9-4

The Final Stats

Tennessee Weekly Schedule

Tuesday: Tennessee 20, Bellarmine 5 | Final Stats | How it Happened | Four Takes | Tony Vitello
Friday: Kentucky 5, Tennessee 3 | Final Stats | How it Happened | Four Takes | Tony Vitello
Saturday: Tennessee 9, Kentucky 4 | Final Stats
Sunday: No. 4 Tennessee at No. 3 Kentucky | 1 pm ET | SEC Network+

Vols in the National Polls this week

NCBWA – No. 2
USA Today – No. 3
Baseball America – No. 3
Perfect Game – No. 3
D1 Baseball – No. 4

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