Tennessee’s bats have finally come alive against quality opposition, and just in time for the nation to see it.
After struggling offensively during a season-opening trip to Arizona and again last weekend in their debut Southeastern Conference series at Missouri, the No. 12 Volunteers have scored 18 runs on 19 hits this weekend in 10-4 and 8-7 victories over No. 21 Texas A&M inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Tennessee walked off Saturday afternoon’s win on Jared Dickey’s sacrifice fly to right field that scored Christian Moore.
“These games have been huge for the lineup,” Dickey, who has played catcher and right field against the Aggies, told reporters after the Vols improved to 18-6 overall and to 2-3 in SEC play. “You’ve seen that we can put whoever we want out there and that they’re going to succeed in every situation we put them in.”
Saturday’s game was televised by ESPN2, and Sunday’s 1 p.m. series finale will be on ESPN.
The Vols were swept by a combined score of 23-6 at Mizzou, and Friday night’s triumph was Tennessee’s first against a Power Five conference foe this season in six attempts. Seven Vols amassed hits in the six-run win, with Maui Ahuna collecting a double and a triple and Blake Burke a seventh-inning home run.
“I think it helps the confidence of our pitchers more than anything,” Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said Saturday of the offensive outburst. “Some guys gave been guilty of trying to be too perfect. Our first two days in Arizona, we were in a bigger park, and we were kind of finding our lineup a little bit. Some guys wanted to come out and be the Vols and conquer the world.
“You’re going to win or lose as a team, whether it’s 2-1 or 10-9, and part of that is just taking a deep breath and realizing everybody is out there competing and that you’ve got to work together.”
Texas A&M, which reached the College World Series last season and won twice in Omaha, fell to 15-8 overall and 1-4 within the league. The Aggies built a 7-4 advantage Saturday at the seventh-inning stretch, but the Vols scored three in their half of the seventh, highlighted by Dickey’s RBI triple.
Former Cleveland High School standout Camden Sewell came in to pitch with one out in the ninth inning and immediately recorded a double play to delight the crowd of 4,472 and help the Vols collect their most dramatic win of this challenging season.
“You can’t do it until you’ve done it,” Vitello said. “There were several situations today where guys picked themselves up, picked their teammates up or got picked up themselves. I think it’s happening naturally or organically, which is probably the best way.
“There have been a lot of these games in our stadium. It’s just a tough place to play.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.