This time next week, Tennessee will have completed its first Southeastern Conference baseball series of the season at Alabama.
Illinois provided a little pre-SEC flavor Sunday.
One day after the No. 8 Volunteers humiliated the Fighting Illini 24-1 inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium, the Big Ten visitors scored three quick runs to provide a much stiffer challenge before Tennessee rallied for an 8-3 triumph. In a game that featured chippiness that can be common in SEC matchups, Robin Villeneuve's grand slam to left field in the seventh inning was the decisive blow, turning a 4-3 lead into a far more comfortable five-run advantage.
"I think every guy on the team likes to play when there is trash talk going on," Villeneuve said afterward in a news conference. "We got better more today than we did yesterday. We need some games that are close. It's just going to help us, and it's big to have a game like this before the SEC."
Tennessee has won 15 consecutive games and is 16-1 this season. The Vols are 14-0 in their current 15-game homestand, with the finale set for Tuesday night against Eastern Kentucky.
Then it's off to Tuscaloosa.
"SEC play is going to be hard like it always is, and I feel like this was a big eye-opener," Vols pitcher Nate Snead said. "That was good competition, and I feel like we'll be ready."
Said Tennessee coach Tony Vitello: "I think we're a good enough team right now to compete in our league, but all that gets you is that quote if you want to print it."
Illinois (5-9) took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning, when Hunter Ensley's home run to left field and Blake Burke's homer to right-center made it a 3-2 game. Burke was ejected from the contest for comments he made while crossing home plate.
Dean Curley's sacrifice fly to left scored Kavares Tears to make it 3-3 in the sixth, and the Vols took their first lead in the seventh on a Tears double down the left-field line that brought home Dalton Bargo.
"In this league with our name, I think everyone wants to throw their best punch at us, whether that's Friday, Saturday, Sunday or midweek games," Ensley said. "Yesterday, the score was what it was, but every day is a new day. You know they wanted to come out of here with a win, so the chippiness was good for us.
"It kind of woke us up a little bit and put a spark in us."
Snead improved to 4-0 by working the last six innings. The sophomore who transferred from Wichita State allowed four hits while striking out five.
Tennessee's current win streak is tied for the third-longest in program history.
"I think we're in a good spot right now," Ensley said. "We need to clean the defense up all the way around, and we just need to build off this and continue to compete with each other. We can put up a crooked number on you fast, and our pitching is going to keep us in every game, so those two combined are looking good right now."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.