Lindsey Nelson Stadium during fall practice. Photo by Ryan Schumpert/RTI
Tennessee baseball was back at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Monday afternoon as the Vols approach the halfway point of fall practice. The Vols played 5.5 innings with five total pitchers getting action in afternoon of work.
Let’s start with Virginia transfer pitcher Evan Blanco who was awesome for the second straight time that I’ve watched him. He allowed just two baserunners in three innings of action. The left hander doesn’t have overwhelming stuff but is a fierce competitor who’s been effective this fall.
Sophomore Tegan Kuhns was the other starter and ran into trouble in the first inning when he walked Hunter High and then Stone Lawless doubled off him. No one else reached that inning but both runners scored due to a RBI groundout and a wild pitch. Kuhns bounced back in the second inning by retiring the aside in order with a pair of strikeouts.
Two-way player Blaine Brown was a bit sporadic pitching as he’s been when I’ve watched this year. He worked around traffic in his first inning before allowing two runs in his second inning in.
It was a very rough afternoon for ETSU transfer Brady Frederick. The right-handed pitcher got roughed up pretty good, giving up back-to-back homers from Ariel Antigua and Levi Clark to begin his outing. Tennessee’s defense was not great behind him which led to a pair of unearned runs, but the submarined pitcher gave up a lot of hard contact.
Lastly, freshman LHP Chandler Day was effective in two innings, allowing just one baserunner. He’s been solid both times I’ve watched him this fall.
Offensively, Antigua, Clark and Virginia transfer Henry Ford each had two hit days. Clark roped an opposite field double and an opposite field line drive home run. Antigua pulled a homer into the second deck of the left field porches while reaching on an infield single in his next at-bat.
Clark and Ford were hitting back-to-back for the Orange team and it’s easy to see that happening in the middle of Tennessee’s lineup this spring.
Freshmen Taylor Tracey and Evan Hankins both had hard hit doubles to right field. Fellow freshman Ethan Moore also smoked a ball to right field that was an out.
It’s important to note that this was not a super formal scrimmage. Pitchers are on pitch counts, and each pitcher has designated innings to throw. Both Frederick and Brown didn’t finish an inning. With that, it’s on to the stats.
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Orange 6, Grey 4
Grey
*The grey batting order changed the first and second time through the lineup. The order was as listed the first time through. The second time, Lawless moved to the five-hole with Wright, Grimmer and Williams all moving up.
Hitting:
Hunter High — 0/0, 2 BB, R
Stone Lawless — 1/1, 2B, R
Garrett Wright — 1/2, 2 R
Blake Grimmer —1/2, 2 RBIs
Cash Williams — 0/2, RBI, K
Ethan Moore — 0/2, K
Finley Bates — 0/2
Tyer Myatt — 0/2, 2 K
Evan Hankins — 1/2, 2B
Taylor Tracey — 1/2, 2B
Nathan Eisfelder — 0/2
Alex Bedford — 0/1, BB
Brennon Seigler — 0/1, K
Pitching:
LHP Evan Blanco — 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Brady Frederick — 1.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Orange
Hitting:
Ariel Antigua — 2/3, HR, RBI, R, CS
Blaine Brown — 0/1
Levi Clark — 2/3, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, R
Henry Ford — 2/3, RBI, R
Jay Abernathy — 0/3, K
Trent Grindlinger — 1/2, K, R
Hutson Chance — 2/2, RBI
Manny Marin — 0/2
Chris Newstrom — 0/2, K
Reese Chapman — 0/3, K, SB, R
Jaxon Walker — 0/1, BB, K, R
Pitching
RHP Tegan Kuhns — 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
LHP Blaine Brown — 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, K
LHP Chandler Day — 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K