Albany scored first Saturday afternoon inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium, but Tennessee scored more.
A lot, lot more.
Dean Curley, Robin Villeneuve, Kavares Tears and Dalton Bargo each homered as the No. 9 Volunteers erased an early 1-0 deficit and rolled to a 21-6 dismantling of the Great Danes. A record crowd of 5,127 attended the drubbing, which resulted in Tennessee improving to 6-1.
The Vols used an 11-run third inning in Wednesday's 16-0 whipping of East Tennessee State and a five-run third in Friday's 8-5 topping of Albany in the series opener, but it was the fourth inning that served as Tennessee's latest feast, as it yielded a nine-run outburst.
"Nine innings is a long time, and there are a lot of different things that can go on," Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said afterward in a news conference. "I don't know what the makers of this game had in mind, but the big inning is a big thing, and we've been fortunate enough to have that as our earmark.
"You never know what one thing is going to kick-start it, so you keep pressing on whether things are going good or not."
Curley, the freshman shortstop from La Verne, California, got things going with a three-run home run to left field that put the Vols ahead to stay at 3-1. Billy Amick hit a bases-clearing double to left for a 6-1 advantage, and Villeneuve's two-run blast to straightaway center capped the scoring in the fourth.
Tears launched a three-run homer to center in the fifth that extended Tennessee's lead to 13-2, and a five-run sixth inning for the Vols that made it 18-2 was courtesy of Bargo's two-run homer to left and a three-run double to left-center by Cannon Peebles.
"We're a big power team," Villeneuve said. "It's going to be a good season. Billy can smash. (Blake) Burke can smash. We have like six guys who I think are going to have amazing seasons.
"If everybody is on that day, watch out."
Drew Beam picked up the win for the Vols, working five innings and allowing two runs on six hits while striking out four.
The series finale between the Vols and Great Danes is set for Sunday afternoon at 1. Vitello said that senior left-hander Zander Sechrist would likely get the start.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.