KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 11 Tennessee dropped Sunday’s series finale against Wright State, 6-3, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Raiders (5-9) secured the series win with Sunday’s victory, while the Volunteers lost their first weekend series of the year.
The Big Orange managed to make things interesting with three runs over the final three innings after falling behind 6-0. The Vols had the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but Christian Scott struck out and Jake Rucker flew out to right field to end the rally.
For the third straight game, UT struggled to get the bats going against Wright State’s starting pitcher. Austin Cline held the Vols (14-2) to just three hits in five shutout innings to earn his second win of the year.
Tennessee’s middle infield tandem of Liam Spence and Max Ferguson accounted for the majority of the Vols’ offense on Sunday, combining for five of the team’s eight hits. Spence finished the day with three hits and a walk while Ferguson went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Tyler Black had a big day for the Raiders, leading them with three hits, two runs and two RBI, including a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
Chase Wallace started for the Vols and fell to 1-1 on the year after giving up two runs on four hits in four innings of work.
Tennessee will look to rebound from Sunday’s loss on Tuesday night when in-state foe ETSU visits Lindsey Nelson Stadium for a midweek matchup. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
Notable
Spence Ties Career High
Spence was one of the bright spots at the plate for Tennessee on Sunday, tying a career high with three hits. The junior infielder from Geelong, Australia reached base in all four of his plate appearances and also scored a run.
Connell and Pleasants Impressive in Relief
Kirby Connell and Elijah Pleasants were solid in relief for the Vols on Sunday, holding Wright State to just two hits over the final 3.1 innings of the game. The duo also combined for three strikeouts and walked just one batter.
Box Score (PDF) | Season Stats (PDF) | Series Stats (PDF) | VIDEO: Vitello Postgame | VIDEO: Ferguson Postgame
-UT Athletics
