HOOVER, Ala. — Tennessee baseball hung a six-spot in the third inning and didn’t look back as they outpaced South Carolina 11-6 in its SEC Tournament opener on Tuesday night.
A pair of freshman pitchers gave Tennessee strong outings while the Vols totaled 15 hits in their first postseason win. Here’s how it happened.
Cam Appenzeller Was Solid In His First SEC Start
Freshman Cam Appenzeller made his first SEC start against South Carolina after a rocky back half of conference play. The results were solid as Appenzeller allowed three earned runs on six hits and three walks and five innings pitched.
Appenzeller cruised through the first two innings allowing just one baserunner on an infield single before erasing him thanks to a nifty Jay Abernathy play on a 4-3 unassisted double play.
But South Carolina did its damage in the third inning when two walks and two hits, including a Patrick Evans triple, plated three runs and gave South Carolina a temporary lead.
Credit to Appenzeller, who responded with a drama-free fourth inning and worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth inning before his day came to an end after he threw a career-high 84 pitches. It was not a dominant outing, but a solid one after a dicey back half of conference play.
Tennessee’s Offense Responded In The Third Inning
After South Carolina’s three-run top of the third inning to take the lead, Tennessee’s offense not only reclaimed but opened up the lead thanks to a six-hot, six-run inning.
Tennessee’s bats quickly responded with three consecutive singles from Blake Grimmer, Henry Ford and Trent Grindlinger to tie the game. It looked like that might be all the Vols would get when South Carolina starter Brandon Stone retired the next two batters.
But Tennessee instead did the bulk of its damage with a two-out rally. Manny Marin went the other way for a RBI single before freshman Nate Eisfelder roped a two-RBI double into the right-center field gap.
Jay Abernathy reached on a fielding error and then stole second shortly after South Carolina made a pitching change. Garrett Wright ensured that Tennessee hit around in the fourth inning, chopping a two-RBI single through the right side of the infield to make it a 9-3 game.
More From RTI: Where Tennessee Baseball Is Projected In Field of 64 Brackets Ahead Of SEC Tournament
Will Haas Was Impressive In Relief
South Carolina fought its way back in the game after a pair of home runs off Brayden Krenzel in the seventh inning pulled the Gamecocks back within three runs.
Freshman Will Haas relieved Krenzel with two outs in the seventh inning and got out of the inning despite the first batter he faced reaching on a Henry Ford throwing error. Then in the eighth inning, Haas retired the side with three strikeouts around a one-out single.
Haas hit the leadoff man in the ninth inning before retiring the next three batters to slam the door on the Gamecocks. He struck out six batters in 2.1 innings pitched while throwing 33 pitches and 25 strikes.
As Tennessee’s bullpen searches for more dependable options, Haas is emerging as a pitcher deserving of more opportunities.
Box Score
Up Next
Tennessee baseball advances to face seven-seed Arkansas on Wednesday evening at the Hoover Met. First pitch is at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET with the SEC Network broadcasting the game.
