Knoxville, Tenn. – Top-ranked Tennessee scored multiple runs in four innings on Wednesday night, jumping out to an early three-run lead in the bottom of the first inning in downing the upset-minded Catamounts 11-1
Tennessee (24-1) jumped on the first pitch in the home half of the first inning for the first of two opening-inning homers in grabbing the early 3-0 lead. The freshly-minted number one team in the nation also scored three in the third and sixth innings with a two-spot in the bottom of the fifth to provide the 11 runs.
Will Prater led the Catamounts with a pair of base hits including a run-scoring double that plated
Zach Ketterman who dropped a triple down the right-field line in the top of the sixth inning for the squad's only marker. Prater was 2-for-4 with
Immanuel Wilder and
Seth Graves both stretching their hitting streaks to four straight with singles.
Daniel Walsh also singled as the Catamounts tallied six hits.
Friday night starter
Zebby Matthews (0-5) was saddled with the midweek defeat despite working just one inning, surrendering the three runs in the top of the first inning with a pair of strikeouts. Matthews was the first of nine Catamount pitchers used on the day with
Nick Hyde striking out the side in the eighth inning among the highlights.
The Catamounts finished with nine punch-outs on the mound in the loss with
Gavin Mortenson,
Tristen Campbell,
Davis Tyndall, and
Matt Schepel posting his first collegiate K for WCU.
For Tennessee, reliever Will Mabrey (2-0) earned the win, striking out four over 1.1 innings in relief of starter Zander Sechrist who fanned three while scattering four hits in 2.2 scoreless innings. The Vols finished with 15 strikeouts in the team's 19th home victory of the season.
Tennessee had four players post two-hit games with Christian Moore finishing 2-for-5 with three RBI and the first-pitch solo homer, with Jordan Beck also homering in a 2-for-4 effort. Drew Gilbert reached four times with a 2-for-2, three-run performance adding a pair of walks.
Western Carolina (11-14) concludes its seven-game road swing with a three-game set against Xavier this weekend in Ohio. Game one is slated for a 5 p.m. start at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio, with the remainder of the series to be played on-campus in Cincinnati.
