HOOVER, Ala. – No. 20/23 Tennessee opened its stay in Hoover with an 11-6 victory over South Carolina in Tuesday’s opening round of the SEC Tournament at the Hoover Met, advancing to Wednesday’s second round where it will take on No. 10/12 Arkansas.
It was another impressive offensive effort from the Volunteers in Tuesday’s victory over the Gamecocks. Eight different players recorded a hit for UT, led by a four-hit performance from leadoff man Garrett Wright, who also finished with a pair of runs scored and three RBIs.
Blake Grimmer, Henry Ford and Levi Clark also had multi-hit days as the Big Orange (38-19) finished with 15 total hits.
Freshman left-hander Cam Appenzeller made his first start against an SEC opponent and earned the win after allowing three runs on six hits and three walks over five innings. The SEC All-Freshman Team selection struck out five en route to earning his sixth win of the year.
Fellow freshman lefty Will Haas closed the game out with 2.1 shutout frames to earn his first-career save. The Rockford, Minnesota, native, allowed just one hit and recorded six of his seven outs via strikeout in a dominant relief outing.
After a scoreless first inning from Appenzeller, the Vols wasted no time jumping out to an early lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first.
Wright and Grimmer started things off with back-to-back singles before a Ford sacrifice fly opened the scoring. A two-out single by Clark drove in Grimmer from second two batters later to spot UT a 2-0 lead.
The Gamecocks (22-35) posted their first of two three-run innings in the game to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the third. A triple to right center by Patrick Evans plated USC’s first two runs before he came in to score on a sacrifice bunt.
The Big Orange were unfazed and immediately responded to retake the lead for good with six runs in the bottom of the inning. Trent Grindlinger, Manny Marin, Nate Eisfelder and Wright all drove in runs in the six-run outburst to put UT ahead 8-3.
Tennessee added another run in the fourth and answered the Gamecocks’ three-spot in the top of the seventh with a pair of solo home runs by Wright and Ford in the eighth to seal the win.
Wright’s four hits tied the program record for the most by a player in an SEC Tournament game, marking the eighth time it has happened and the first time since Hunter Ensley had four hits in the 2024 SEC Championship game against LSU.
UP NEXT: With Tuesday’s win, the 10th-seeded Vols secured their spot in the second round, where they will face No. 7 seed Arkansas on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
