KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 4/5 Tennessee got back in the win column with a 10-2 victory over Alabama State on Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Volunteers (29-4) scored eight of their 10 runs in the fourth inning to break open a scoreless game up until that point. Reese Chapman, Christ Newstrom and Dean Curley all homered in the inning to account for four of the eight runs.
AJ Russell started for the second consecutive midweek game and tossed two scoreless innings, striking out a pair while allowing just one hit as he continues to work his way back from offseason elbow surgery.
Austin Breedlove earned his second win of the year after pitching 1.1 shutout frames with a strikeout. Andrew Behnke, Michael Sharman, Austin Hunley and Thomas Crabtree also posted scoreless relief outings for the Big Orange.
Newstrom On A Heater
Newstrom continued his impressive stretch of games at the plate with a career night on Tuesday, finishing 3-for-5 with a run scored, a home run and four RBIs to lead the Vols offensively.
The freshman drove in three of UT’s eight runs in the fourth inning with a solo homer and a two-run double. Newstrom has now recorded multiple hits in each of his last four games played.
Grimmer Keeps Raking
Redshirt freshman Blake Grimmer made his third straight midweek start and provided Tennessee with another productive performance, going 2-for-3 with a pair of walks and two runs scored.
In those three midweek starts, Grimmer is 6-for-10 with five runs scored, two home runs and seven RBIs. The Spring Lake, Michigan, native also recorded his first-career SEC hit last weekend with a pinch-hit single in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader against Texas A&M.
Up Next
The Vols head back on the road for a top-10 series at No. 6 Ole Miss this weekend in Oxford. Friday’s opener is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
