KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Blake Burke’s career-high five RBIs powered second-ranked Tennessee to a 6-1 win over Charleston Southern Tuesday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Burke homered for the fifth time this season in the win, a two-run shot in the sixth inning, and finished 3-for-5 on the day. Tennessee recorded 11 hits as a team Tuesday, going a combined 11-for-34 (.324) at the dish with a pair of home runs. Jared Dickey finished with a pair of hits and an RBI while Griffin Merritt also had a multi-hit day, going 2-for-4.
Left-hander Zander Sechrist earned the start on the mound and logged 4.1 innings of work with five strikeouts and just three hits allowed in the outing.
Seth Halvorsen stepped up in relief of Sechrist, striking out four of the 11 batters he faced in 2.2 innings of work to earn his first win as a Vol. Kirby Connell was called from the bullpen to pitch the eighth, tossing a 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout. Aaron Combs finished things off by striking out a pair of batters and retiring the side in order in the ninth.
The Vols opened the scoring on a Burke two-un single through the right side in the bottom of the first, giving the Vols an early 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fourth, Burke’s third RBI of the day came on a single that scored Charlie Taylor and increased the Tennessee advantage to 3-0.
Dickey’s solo shot to right center was his third homer of the year and Tennessee’s first of three runs in the sixth inning. Shortly after, a certified Burke Blast to left center left the yard, scoring Moore for Burke’s fourth and fifth RBIs of the game.
Junior infielder Maui Ahuna got the starting nod at shortstop his Tennessee debut and logged his first hit in the Orange and White with a single up the middle in the sixth inning.
Charleston Southern’s Casey Asman drove in the lone run on the day for the Buccaneers with a solo home run in the top of the seventh.
UT completes the midweek series with Charleston Southern on Wednesday afternoon with first pitch slated for 4 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app or listen live on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App and the Varsity App.
-UT Athletics
