Top-ranked Tennessee built a 20-0 record with 11 victories in nine-inning games and with nine wins in seven-inning contests.
The Volunteers experienced their first extra-inning game Tuesday before a crowd of 6,331 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, and they experienced their first loss as well.
East Tennessee State racked up four home runs, with the fourth being Grant Gallagher’s two-out, two-strike blast to left field off Tanner Franklin in the top of the 10th inning to propel the Southern Conference’s Bucs to a 7-6 triumph. ETSU trailed 6-4 entering the ninth inning but tied the game on Jamie Palmese’s two-run homer to right off Ryan Combs.
Tennessee entered the in-state pairing with 22 consecutive conquests dating back to last June’s College World Series championship series victories over Texas A&M but was denied in its attempt to match the record 23 straight wins compiled by the 2022 Vols.
“We’ll see what we’ve got,” Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said afterward in a news conference. “To this point, it’s been nothing but glad-handing and hype and everything else. Some has been earned and some has not, but it’s all been positive, and there are a lot of negatives in this game.