On March 11, 2025, the No. 2-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (17-0) hosted the West Georgia Wolves (8-7) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers secured a 4-2 victory in a tightly contested midweek baseball game.
First Inning:
- Top of the First: West Georgia’s Cooper Prince flew out to center field, followed by Brady McDevitt’s fly out to right field. Patrick McCullough was hit by a pitch, and Carter Dierdorf walked, placing runners on first and second. However, McCullough was caught stealing second base, ending the inning.
- Bottom of the First: Tennessee’s Dean Curley grounded out to second base, and Gavin Kilen flew out to center field. Hunter Ensley drew a walk, and Andrew Fischer hit a two-run homer to left field, giving Tennessee a 2-0 lead. Levi Clark grounded out to third base to conclude the inning.
Third Inning:
- Top of the Third: West Georgia’s Blake Bradford reached on a fielding error by Tennessee’s shortstop. Luke Johnson’s sacrifice bunt advanced Bradford to second. Mason Cooper’s single to left field scored Bradford, reducing Tennessee’s lead to 2-1.
- Bottom of the Third: Tennessee loaded the bases with no outs but failed to capitalize, leaving three runners stranded.
Fifth Inning:
- Bottom of the Fifth: With runners on first and second, Chris Newstrom’s two-out single to left field scored Reese Chapman, extending Tennessee’s lead to 3-1.
Sixth Inning:
- Bottom of the Sixth: The Volunteers loaded the bases with no outs. Fischer’s sacrifice fly to left field scored Curley, increasing the lead to 4-1. However, Tennessee couldn’t add more, leaving the bases loaded.
Eighth Inning:
- Top of the Eighth: West Georgia’s Brady McDevitt led off with a double to left-center field. Patrick McCullough’s groundout to shortstop advanced McDevitt to third. Carter Dierdorf’s sacrifice fly to right field scored McDevitt, narrowing the gap to 4-2.
Pitching Highlights:
- Tennessee: Sophomore right-hander Thomas Crabtree (1-0) earned the win with 3.1 innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out three. Ryan Combs secured his first save by retiring both batters he faced in the ninth inning.
- West Georgia: Starting pitcher Evimael Quiles (0-1) took the loss, pitching 5.2 innings and giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits.
Notable Performances:
- Tennessee: Andrew Fischer led the offense with a home run and three RBIs.
- West Georgia: Brady McDevitt’s eighth-inning double and team’s resilience were standout moments.
This victory marked Tennessee’s 17th consecutive win, the best start in program history. The Volunteers will begin SEC play this weekend against No. 6/7 Florida, aiming to continue their undefeated streak.
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