KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 9 Tennessee Baseball won in an early offensive battle in the final matchup of the Shriners Children's College Showdown against the Baylor Bears on Sunday night.
Baylor got on the board first with a Hunter Simmons double that sent Enzo Apodaca across home plate. Tennessee's Hunter Ensley dived to make an incredible grab for Tennessee's first out of the night, but Baylor scored once more before the end of the first inning to give them a 2-0 lead.
At the top of the second, Kavares Tears stepped up to the plate and hit his first home run of the season to left-center field, giving Tennessee a 3-2 lead. However, the Bears responded shortly after with a bomb of their own to tie up the score, 3-3.
To the third, Billy Amick hit a two-run triple into left field, and Cannon Peebles hit a sac fly down center field, sending Amick across the disc to make it a 6-3 game.
Head coach Tony Vitello turned to Wichita State transfer Nate Snead to pitch after Tennessee's three-run third inning. LHP Zander Sechrist's line after two innings was four hits, three earned runs, one walk, and a strikeout.
In the bottom of the third, Baylor cut into Tennessee's lead even further with a two-run triple. However, Nate Sneed ended the inning with a strikeout to save the lead, 6-5.
Eleven runs were scored in the first three innings of play, and both teams were finding offensive rhythm.
In the 4th inning, Christian Moore lasered a two-run double down left field for his second double of the Texas weekend showdown. Tennessee was up three runs, 8-5. Moore had runners on the corners after Tears hit a single.
Snead retires the side in order to get the Vols back on offense quickly, and just in time for Billy Amick to hit his second homer as a Vol. Tennessee led 9-5 in the fifth inning.
Amick's solo shot traveled 425 feet and flew 112 mph off the bat.
Tennessee led from then on and finished with a double-digit score for the first time this season. UT didn't allow the Bears to score in the last six innings of play.
Next up, the Vols return home to Lindsey Nelson Stadium to take on UNC Asheville on Feb. 20. The game starts at 4:30 p.m.
