KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 1/2 Tennessee continued its winning ways with another emphatic midweek win, defeating Xavier 13-1 on Wednesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The victory extended the Volunteers win streak to begin the year to 13, which is tied for the second longest to start a season in program history. The 2020 team also won its first 13 games a year after the 2019 team set the program record with 15 consecutive victories to begin the year.
UT dominated the middle innings after being held scoreless over the first three frames, combining for 11 runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, including a seven spot in the sixth to blow the game open.
Thomas Crabtree made his first career start and was solid through two innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out four batters before making way for Austin Breedlove.
The junior righthander had the best outing of his Tennessee career with three hitless innings that saw him punch out three batters and earn his first win.
Tegan Kuhns, Brayden Sharp, Luke Payne and Brayden Krenzel all posted scoreless relief outings, as well, to close out the game.
Lineup Showcases Its Depth
The Vols (13-0) got contributions up and down the lineup on Wednesday, as nine different players recorded a hit and seven drove in a run.
Levi Clark was impressive once again, going 3-for-3 while tying for the team lead with three RBIs. Reese Chapman also drove in three runs with a three-run bomb in UT’s seven-run sixth inning, extending his hit streak to 13 games in the process.
Andrew Fischer scored two runs and homered for the third straight game, getting the Vols on the scoreboard with a two-run blast in the fourth inning. Gavin Kilen also continued to swing a hot bat, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored.
Up Next
Tennessee takes on St. Bonaventure this weekend in its final non-conference series of the regular season. First pitch for Friday’s series opener is slated for 6:30 p.m. and all three games will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
