Four quick takes in Tennessee’s 11-1 run rule win over Lipscomb

The 6th ranked Tennessee baseball team bounced back after a disappointing weekend by run ruling  Lipscomb 11-1 thanks to four home runs. 

Here are four quick takes on the win. 

1 — Maturity showed — After losing Saturday and Sunday to drop the series against Kentucky, Tennessee showed up at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Tuesday night. After a scoreless top half of the first, Tennessee’s offense welcomed Lipscomb with 3 quick runs in the bottom of the frame as the middle of the order got it done. Andrew Fischer had a 2 run bomb and Hunter Ensley scored on a Dalton Bargo single to set the early tone. 

After a rough weekend, Tennessee’s maturity showed as the Vols were ready to play and they played the game cleanly aside from Curley’s throwing error in the top of the 7th.   

2 —The B and S express— I have watched plenty of mid-week games in my 30 years of covering athletics. I have seen many mid-week game losses or games that were closer than they should have been and the biggest key was gift runners. Give Andrew Breedlove and Micheal Sharman credit, they pounded the zone and gave up only one free runner. Breedlove and Sharman worked six clean innings giving up 4 hits, 0 runs, 6 k’s. The duo threw 77 pitches combined and 54 were strikes. 

3 — Have a day Andrew Fischer — Fischer got things started with a home run, had a single, and a double. His out was a ball caught at the top of the wall. It was foot away from being his second home run. Fischer had 3 RBIs and scored two runs. 

If you don’t think Fischer’s bat is important, in losses Fischer is 4 for 22 (.182). In wins, Fischer is 39 for 100 (.390)

4 — The middle woke up — It wasn’t just Fischer that had a nice night, the middle of the order woke back up after a dreadful weekend at the plate. In the weekend series loss to Kentucky, Tennessee’s 3-4-5 hitters were 5 of 31. Tuesday night, they were 7 of 11 with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBI, a walk and a strike out. 

Tennessee’s middle of the order is not going to bat over .600 every night, but they can’t bat below .200 on a weekend if the Vols are going to reach their full potential and meet their expectations.  

The hope is that Tuesday night’s work/success gets the middle of the line up back on track as Tennessee heads to LSU this weekend.

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