Vols Come Back to Secure Series from Aggies

Saturday, March 25

Knoxville, Tenn.

11:00 AM

Texas A&M

15-8, 1-4

Tennessee

18-6, 2-3

Texas A&M

Tennessee

Photo by: Ethan Mito/Texas A&M Athletics

Mar 25, 2023 | Baseball

Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 12 Tennessee Volunteers rallied from a 7-4 deficit to walk off the No. 21 Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday in the middle game of a three-game series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Aggies (15-8, 1-4 SEC) struck for four runs with two outs in the sixth inning to dig out of a 4-2 hole and surge in front, adding another run in the top of the seventh to lead by three; however, Tennessee (18-6, 2-3 SEC) responded with three two-out runs of their own in the home half of the seventh to tie it up before Jared Dickey won it in the ninth with a sacrifice fly.

Dickey finished 3-for-4 for the Vols with no hit being bigger than a wind-aided RBI triple in the seventh that cut the lead to 7-6. He would score on a wild pitch one batter later to tie it up.

The win nullified an otherwise strong outing by the Aggie bullpen who got 3.2 scoreless innings from Evan Aschenbeck. Brad Rudis did not allow a run in his first 1.2 innings of relief before being touched up for three in the seventh, and Will Johnston suffered his first loss of the year despite not allowing a hit.

The Vols used five pitchers of their own, including starter Chase Burns who struck out eight and did not allow a run until the sixth after surrendering a two-run homer by Jack Moss in the first. Andrew Lindsey provided 2.1 key innings of relief, but it was Camden Sewell who moved to 1-0 with the win after coaxing a key double play to end the top of the ninth.

Moss finished a triple shy of the cycle with three hits, three RBI and a pair of runs scored. Jace LaViolette also doubled and drove in a pair.

TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Jace LaViolette – 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, R
Jack Moss – 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Evan Aschenbeck – 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K

UP NEXT
The Aggies will turn to freshman left-hander Justin Lamkin for the first weekend start of his career on Sunday in the series finale. He'll be opposed by Tennessee righty Drew Beam.

First pitch at Lindsey Nelson Stadium is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT. The game can be viewed on ESPN.

GAME SUMMARY
T1| TAMU 2, TENN 0
For the second straight game the Aggies pushed across a pair of runs to grab an early lead. Kasen Wells got things started by beating out a grounder to first base for an infield single and Jack Moss followed two batters later by blasting his second home run out to left-center field off of Volunteer starter Chase Burns.

B1| TAMU 2, TENN 1
Aggie starter Troy Wansing put the leadoff man on base by hitting Maui Ahuna with the first pitch of the day and a single by Christian Moore moved him up 90 feet into scoring position. One batter later Blake Burke lined a single into center field to get a run back for Tennessee, but Wansing got a double-play grounder one play later to end the inning.

B2| TENN 4, TAMU 2
Ahuna delivered a go-ahead double that plated a pair of runs, scoring Cal Stark and Griffin Merritt to put the Vols in front 3-2. That hit chased Wansing from the game in favor of Evan Aschenbeck, , who got a pair of fly outs to end the inning, including a sacrifice fly from Moore that pushed the lead to 4-2.

T6| TAMU 6, TENN 4
Texas A&M put together some two-out magic in the sixth, finally chasing Burns from the game. It all started with a single by Jack Moss off Burns and Austin Bost followed with a double into the left-field corner. Jace LaViolette then knotted it up when he doubled inside the third-base bag to score both runners. A pair of walks to Trevor Werner and Ryan Targac followed before Max Kaufer drew a bases-loaded walk from reliever Kyle Connell to force home the go-ahead run. The Aggies then added another on an error at third base off the bat of Jordan Thompson.

T7| TAMU 7, TENN 4
The Aggies got an insurance run in the seventh when Moss cashed in on a leadoff single by Hunter Haas by doubling him home with a two-bagger into the right-field corner. Texas A&M, however, could not add more as Andrew Lindsey entered and struck out the first three Aggies he faced to end the frame right there.

B7| TAMU 7, TENN 7
Despite getting Ahuna to open the inning, a single by Moore sparked the Vols and he advanced all the way to third on a grounder and wild pitch. Hunter Ensley then cut the lead to 7-5 with a single to left field and Jared Dickey made it 7-6 one batter later when the wind knocked down a fly ball to right field that got away from Thompson and ended in a triple. He then came home five pitches later on a wild pitch by Aggie reliever Will Johnston.

B9| TENN 8, TAMU 7
Moore drew a leadoff walk to open the ninth and that proved to be the wining run. He advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch and then to third on a grounder. The Aggies intentionally walked Ensley to put runners on the corners, but Dickey delivered a fly ball to right field to score Moore and end it.