Coach Tony Vitello returned from a three-game suspension and shortstop Maui Ahuna made his season debut, but the star of Tennessee’s baseball show continues to be Blake Burke.
The sophomore first baseman went 3-for-5 with a career-best five RBIs as the Volunteers defeated Charleston Southern 6-1 on Tuesday for their seventh consecutive triumph. Burke is hitting .394 through nine games that have yielded a 7-2 start, and he has racked up five home runs and 12 RBIs.
Burke’s two-run single through the right side in the first inning gave the Vols all the offense they would need, and his two-run homer in the sixth capped his stellar outing.
Jared Dickey and Griffin Merritt added two hits apiece, while starting pitcher Zander Sechrist worked into the fifth inning, allowing three hits while tallying five strikeouts. Sechrist has yet to give up a run through 11 innings this season.
The Vols have worked through some early season turbulence by winning seven straight by the combined score of 68-5.