Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) took an early lead against No. 12 University of Tennessee (UT) with a solo home run from Will King in the first inning, but the Volunteers ultimately claimed a 14-2 victory in a seven-inning game on Tuesday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Early Lead and Tennessee’s Response
With two outs in the first inning, King sent a blast over the left field wall for his sixth home run of the season, giving EKU a brief advantage. However, Tennessee (23-10) quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run from Blake Burke, seizing the lead from the Colonels.
UT Extends Lead, EKU Struggles to Catch Up
Christian Moore’s three-run home run capped a four-run fourth inning for UT, extending their lead to 6-1. Matthew Corlew managed to hit a solo home run for the Colonels (13-19) in the top of the fifth, but that was as close as EKU could get to the Volunteers.
Tennessee continued to dominate with another four-run inning in the bottom of the fifth, including two more home runs. The game ultimately concluded in the seventh inning with Reese Chapman’s three-run home run, sealing the 14-2 victory for the Volunteers.
Player Performances
King finished the night 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while Corlew was also 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI for Eastern Kentucky. On the other hand, Burke led the Vols with a 2-for-3 performance, a run, and two RBIs.
Upcoming ASUN Conference Series
The Colonels will look to bounce back from their loss as they host No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast for a three-game ASUN Conference series this weekend. Friday’s series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. Eastern Kentucky will be keen to put the defeat behind them and focus on performing strongly in the upcoming conference games.
