Usually, it would be more of a game-highlight when a highly regarded freshman pitched three scoreless innings without giving up a hit or run and struck out three. However, Tennessee’s offence, which scored 16 runs and halted the game after 7 innings due to the run rule, overshadowed Matthew Dallas’ (a native of Memphis, TN, and the 14th-best lefty in the nation according to Perfect Game) debut as a starter on Wednesday.
Following his third strikeout of the game in the top of the inning, Dallas retired the first three batters he faced…
After a walk, an error, and a wild pitch from ETSU, Kavares Tears scored the game’s first run for the Vols to take a one-run lead.
However, the bats went limp for ten hits and eleven runs in the third inning. Before Bily Amick walked on four pitches, Hunter Ensley singled, Christian Moore singled, and Cannon Peebles reached on a fielder’s choice to score Ensley.
Moore was scored by Tears’ single to short.
Then Matt Villenueve singled through to left, scoring Peebles and setting the table for freshman Dean Curly, making his first career start. Curly didn’t disappoint, mashing a ball to left that scored three and cleared the bases.
But the Vols weren’t done. Dylan Dreiling singled, and Ensley doubled him home on the next pitch. Moore followed that with another home run, plating two more runs:
Blake Burke doubled, and Billy Amick finished off the frame in perfect fashion — with another two-run shot.
Before going scoreless in the fifth, the Vols scored one more run in the fourth on a single by Ensley that drove home Dreiling.
Not to worry, though; in the sixth, they were back at it, scoring three more runs on one hit, courtesy of a three-run blast from Walter State transfer Colby Backus. He got his first three RBIs of the season when he drove in Ethan Payne and Curly.
Six innings in, the pitching staff gave up only one hit while the offence was clicking. With 69 of their 103 pitches for strikes, Dallas, Dylan Loy, Marcus Phillips, Brayden Sharp, and JJ Garcia combined for 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1BB, and 7 Ks.
The game ended a couple innings early because of the run rule because UT led by ten runs or more before the end of the seventh inning.
Play resumes this weekend with Tennessee taking on Albany in a three-game series that begins at 4:30 on Friday.
