KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 3 Tennessee opened its home slate with an emphatic victory, slugging its way to a 10-0 run-rule win over Alabama A&M on Tuesday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
While the bats broke out with 10 hits and three long balls, the pitching staff was equally impressive, posting its second straight shutout after also blanking UC San Diego in the finale of the MLB Desert Invitational on Sunday.
Four different UT (2-2) pitchers combined for the shutout, all pitching two innings apiece while limiting the Bulldogs to just three hits on the night. Junior right hander Hollis Fanning made his first-career start and struck out two batters while allowing just one hit before giving way to redshirt-sophomore lefty Jake Fitzgibbons, who had four punchouts and didn’t allow a hit in his two innings of work to pick up his second-career victory.
Freshman AJ Russell pitched the next two frames, striking out three batters in his collegiate debut. Junior college transfer Jacob Bimbi finished things off with two shutout innings and four strikeouts.
Jared Dickey led the Big Orange at the dish, finishing 3-for-3 with three runs scored, two RBIs and his first home run of the year. Blake Burke also recorded a multi-hit game, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a three-run blast to open the scoring in the third inning.
With a runner on base and the Vols leading 8-0 in the bottom of the eighth inning, redshirt-sophomore Ryan Miller – in his first-career at-bat – hit a walk-off two-run homer that just cleared the wall in right field to send the run-rule into effect and end the game.
Redshirt-freshman Kavares Tears also made his collegiate debut as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, roping a double into left-center field on the first pitch he saw before coming around to score on Dickey’s two run homer later in the inning.
Chevalier Dorris led Alabama A&M (3-1) with a hit, a walk and two stolen bases.
The Vols and Bulldogs will square off again tomorrow with first pitch slated for 4:30 p.m. on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
-UT Athletics
