Tennessee settles for draw against Indiana State

The undefeated Tennessee baseball team rolled into the weekend looking to extend its unbeaten streak. With the Indiana State Sycamores in Knoxville for a four game series, the club would ultimately have to settle for a draw.

Chad Dallas got the start for Tennessee late Friday afternoon for game one of the series, a game which the Volunteers would win in a hard fought close match up, 4-3. Dallas pitched five innings, allowing nine hits, three runs, while walking a pair, and striking out nine. Sean Hunley (2-0) got the win after four unblemished innings of work.

The highlights included in that game consisted of a Jordan Beck home run (3), which pushed Tennessee to a 2-1 lead. An inning later, Jake Rucker singled in an RBI to push the Volunteers further ahead, 3-1. In the fifth inning, the Sycamores would tie the game off a throwing error and RBI single, knotting the score at 3-3. Tennessee’s final score, a Beck single, scoring Liam Spence and ultimately enabling the Volunteers to win by the final score of 4-3.

On Saturday, Tennessee and Indiana State were set to play a doubleheader with the first game beginning at 12:30. For game one, Blake Tidwell (0-1) got the start, and would ultimately be tagged with the loss in a 3-1 Sycamore victory. He pitched four innings, gave up two hits, and allowed one run, one walk, with six strikeouts.

Indiana State picked up individual runs in the second, fourth, and fifth innings. Tennessee scored only once, when Rucker scored off a Beck triple. The Volunteers managed five hits in the game, all of which came in the middle of the lineup, while no Vol picked up more than a single hit. They left eight men on base in this pitcher’s duel.

With a 4:15 start time for game two of the day, Elijah Pleasants (0-1) was the starting pitcher. He tossed two innings, giving up four hits and five runs before yielding the mound to Camden Sewell. Ultimately, Pleasants was tagged for the loss, as Tennessee’s comeback attempt ultimately fell short in a 7-5 loss.

Indiana State mounted a steady onslaught through the first five innings, resulting in a big 7-0 lead. Tennessee would mount a five run sixth inning, but couldn’t breakthrough to claw all the way back. Spence doubled, platting a pair before Rucker singled, plating an additional duo. Drew Gilbert grounded out, but Max Ferguson scored on the play. Joel Ortega struck out to conclude the inning. After a Gilbert single in the ninth, the next three hitters struck out, ending a tough day on the diamond, which saw Tennessee lose two ballgames.

On Sunday afternoon, Tennessee looked to get back on track. Jackson Leath started, but was pulled after 0.2 innings when he landed awkwardly. Sean Hunley entered the game and pitched 5.2 innings, allowing two hits, two runs, walking one, and striking out six. Redmond Walsh (2-0) entered and pitched 4.2 innings, earning the win, after allowing three hits and three runs. He also struck out five.

Tennessee plated its first five runs through five innings, which included a Pete Derkay RBI single in the first. Beck singled in another, then Connor Pavolony hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Rucker. They would add another pair off of a Ferguson double.

Then it was Indiana State’s turn, as they scored two in the sixth, then three more in the eighth to tie the game at 5-5. The two clubs entered extra innings and it wasn’t until the 11^th inning that Tennessee was able to push across the winning run. A fielder’s choice to home and an error on that throw saw Luc Lipcius score on the play. The throw was wide, pulling the catcher’s foot off the plate. After a brief discussion with the umpires, they upheld the call, sending the Volunteer bench into the outfield for its second celebration of the play. Tennessee won the game, 6-5.

The Volunteers (7-2) play a single midweek game against the Dayton Flyers on Wednesday evening, with first pitch set to be at 6:00. There will also be a three game weekend series against the Georgia State Panthers beginning Friday night at 6:30.