Vols Host Bearcats - Weekend Series Thread

Tennessee's home stand will continue tonight as they host the Cincinnati Bearcats in a three game series. The Vols are coming off their home opening series last weekend where they swept the Norfolk State Spartans in three games. The Vols were originally scheduled to travel to ETSU on Tuesday but that game was postponed due to rain. The forecast for this weekend is not pretty either with a 90% chance of snow on Saturday night.

Tennessee won game one this past weekend against the Spartans 10-2. Tennessee took the lead first, scoring three runs in the third inning on two straight home runs by Jordan Rodgers and Benito Santiago. NSU would add two runs of their own in the next half inning, closing the gap to 3-2 on an RBI double and RBI single. Jeff Moberg would then lead off the fifth with a home run for UT. Andre Lipcius would make the lead three again after an RBI ground out. That lead would stand until the seventh inning when the Vols exploded for five more runs (including another Jordan Rodgers homer) to give the final 10-2 score line.

Once again the Vols took the early lead in game two as Jeff Moberg led off the bottom of the first with a home run. Four more runs would score in the fourth as Jay Charleston, Jeff Moberg (x2), and Rodgers would all pick up RBIs on hits. Norfolk State would respond with two unearned runs in the top of the fifth after an error by Max Bartlett extended the inning. The 5-2 lead would hold through the rest of the game as Zach Warren got the win after his five inning start and Jon Lipinski recorded his first save of the year.

The final game of the weekend again saw the Vols up early with Dom Thornton scoring Bentio Santiago on a sacrifice fly in the second. NSU would get an RBI ground out in the fourth and solo home run in the fifth to take the lead for the first time all weekend. The Vols would strike back, loading the bases in the fifth on a hit batter, walk, and bunt single. Justin Ammons then drew a walk to score one and a double play ground ball would allow another to score. The Spartans would get back ahead in the sixth on a two out, two RBI single. The game would get tied back up at 4 in the bottom of the sixth after a Reggie Southall RBI single to bring home Thornton. Both teams would leave multiple runners stranded through the rest of the night. That includes three Vols left stranded in the tenth. The tie would finally be broken in the eleventh after Moberg started the inning with a single. Jay Charleston moved him to second on a ground out off the pitchers glove. Ammons would then drive in the winning run on an RBI single to left center.

Tennessee leads the all-time series against Cincinnati 17-5. The Vols have won thirteen straight including 7-1 and 7-0 victories in Knoxville the past two seasons.

Cincinnati is coming off a midweek victory at home against Kentucky. The Bearcats walked off in the 10th inning on a two out error by Kentucky's third baseman. They were picked in the preseason coaches poll to finish 5th in the AAC.

Next for the Vols is a midweek trip to Middle Tennessee State on Tuesday before returning home to host Austin Peay on Wednesday. The Vols will then open up SEC play at home on Friday against South Carolina in their first televised game of the year.

#25 Tennessee Volunteers (9-1) vs Cincinnati Bearcats (5-6)

Date: Friday-Sunday March 10-12, 2017
First Pitch: 6 p.m. ET Friday, 2 p.m. ET Saturday, 2 p.m. ET Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Knoxville, TN

Live Audio: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on UTSports
Live Stats: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on GameTracker

Probable Starting Pitchers:
UT RHP Hunter Martin (3-0, 3.94 ERA) vs UC RHP Andrew Zellner (0-1, 3.44 ERA)
UT LHP Zach Warren (1-1, 3.65 ERA) vs UC RHP J.T. Perez (0-2, 6.46 ERA)
UT TBA vs UC TBA