By: Gabriel Daniel
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.- No. 16 Tennessee’s offense dominated a second straight game Tuesday evening, run-ruling Eastern Kentucky 14-2 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The win comes just three days after the Vols (23-10, 5-7 SEC) defeated No.3 Florida by the same score in a game that was also ended by the run rule.
Eastern Kentucky (13-9, 4-8 ASUN) had no answer for a Vols’ offense that scored in five out of the seven innings and had four run innings in the fourth and fifth. Sophomore infielder Christian Moore led the offensive explosion for the Vols, hitting his sixth home run of the year and driving in three RBIs.
“We were seeing it pretty well today… I think for me it’s just sticking to my approach, digging deep and putting balls in the air,” said Moore.
Success is nothing new for the sophomore Moore who is one of Tennessee’s best hitters. Moore is third on the team in hits with 32, third on the team in RBIs with 26, and also has the fourth most home runs for the Vols.
In addition to the performance by Moore, Vols’ right-fielder Jared Dickey also had a solid day at the plate. The redshirt sophomore out of Mount Juliet, Tennessee finished the day with a .314 batting average and crucial hit in the first inning that started the game off strong for the Vols.
“I think it’s really important we’ve been putting good swings on the ball and having quality at bats, that’s pretty much the only thing we are hunting for. Having the opportunity to get everybody in it was pretty good, to see those guys put some swings on the ball just to know we have more depth,” said Dickey.
One of the depth pieces Tennessee got to see at the plate tonight was freshman outfielder Reese Chapman. The No.1 recruit out of Colorado in 2022, Chapman hasn’t seen much playing time this season, having only 13 at bats prior to Tuesday.
But Chapman put his ability on display against the Colonels, hitting a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh. Chapman’s first home run of his career forced the run rule and walked the Vols off. Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello was impressed the play of Chapman and his success in a limited role.
“Those guys literally do everything to a tee that you would like them to do and Reese is starting to come out of his shell a little bit,” said Vitello.
While the explosive offensive stole the show, the bullpen also had a solid outing for Tennessee. The Vols threw nine pitchers and only allowed four hits throughout the game while combining for 13 strikeouts.
Up next Tennessee travels to No. 5 Arkansas for a tough road series against the Razorbacks. The first game will be on Friday and the first pitch is scheduled for 8 P.M. ET.