NASHVILLE, Tenn. — No. 1 Tennessee used a strong eighth inning to take the lead and power themselves to an 8-4 win over Vanderbilt in Nashville on Friday night.
It didn't take long before the Vols got on the scoreboard. Christian Moore blasted his 22nd home run of the season on the third pitch of the game to right field. It gave UT a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Dylan Dreiling drove one to right field, which scored Kavares Tears from second base for a 2-0 lead.
The Vols ran into some trouble in the bottom of the first inning. With a runner on first and third base with no outs, Chris Stamos dialed up a strikeout. RJ Austin stole second base for Vanderbilt to put two runners in scoring position. However, Stamos came up with another strikeout and then forced a groundout to keep the 2-0 lead intact.
The Commodores scored their first run in the bottom of the second inning. Jacob Humphrey hit a solo home run to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Dreiling drove in another run in the top of the third inning. After Billy Amick was able to advance to third base on a wild pitch, Dreiling dropped a shallow single into center field that allowed Amick to score for the 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Vols got two outs on Vanderbilt and looked like they would get out of the inning unscathed with no runners on. However after A.J. Causey let up a walk and a single to get a runner on first and second base, Matthew Polk hit a single to make it 3-2.
Then Humphrey struck again with a single this time that brought in two more runs. Vanderbilt took a 4-3 lead.
In the top of the eighth inning, Tears put the Vols back out in front. A shot over the fence in left field scored Amick and himself to put UT up 5-4.
Soon after, Dreiling hit a triple to center field as Humphrey tried to come up with a great catch for the out but missed. A single from Hunter Ensley would bring him in for the 6-4 lead.
The runs kept coming. Cannon Peebles pinch hit in the inning and hit a two-run home run that also brought in Ensley. Tennessee went up 8-4.
That would end up being the difference. This marks the eighth straight win for Tennessee over Vanderbilt.
The Vols will play the Commodores in Game 2 of the series on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game will be televised on SEC Network and streamed on Watch ESPN.
