Vols advance to regional final with win over Cincinnati

Yahoo

01-06-2025

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Tennessee is off to its fifth straight regional final after a 10-6 win.
The Vols were led by their middle infield at the plate. Gavin Kilen recorded a team-high four hits, while Dean Curley led the Vols with four RBI, including Tennessee's sole home run.
Marcus Phillips earned his first NCAA Tournament start and was fantastic on the mound. The junior struck out eight and allowed three runs on four hits in six innings of work.
Tennessee's offense got to work early in the first. Gavin Kilen started things off with a single, and then both Andrew Fischer and Hunter Ensley walked, as the Vols loaded the bases with no outs.
Dalton Bargo struck out for the first out, but Dean Curley followed up with a single to right to bring home Kilen and Fischer for the 2-0 lead. After a Reese Chapman strikeout, Levi Clark drew an 11-pitch walk to reload the bases. However, Cannon Peebles flew one out to center field to leave all three stranded.
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Cincinnati quickly put two runners on with a single and a walk. However, Marcus Phillips retired the next three batters with two strikeouts.
Tennessee managed just a single in the second, courtesy of Gavin Kilen. On the other side, Phillips pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the frame with a strikeout and two groundouts.
The Vols extended their lead to 3-0 courtesy of a Dean Curley solo home run. The sophomore drove in the first three runs for Tennessee with that homer and his 2 RBI single.
The Bearcats got on the board in the bottom of the third. Back-to-back walks put two runners on with no outs, and Jack Natili drove one of them home with an RBI single. A sacrifice fly then cut the deficit to just one run, 3-2.
Tennessee responded with a run in the fourth to regain a two-run advantage. Gavin Kilen led things off with a triple and then ran home on an Andrew Fischer RBI groundout for the 4-2 lead.
A major storyline heading into this game was Cincinnati's run game and how Marcus Phillips would shut it down. Well, he proved he was up to the challenge when he walked Kerrington Cross, but then picked him off at first. Phillips followed that up with his sixth strikeout of the day as he ran back to a riled-up Tennessee dugout.
The Vols plated a couple more runs in the sixth. Cannon Peebles kicked off the inning with a double, and then Gavin Kilen followed up with a single for his fourth hit of the night. Andrew Fischer brought them both home on a 2-RBI double to extend Tennessee's lead to 6-2.
Tennessee wasn't done. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases, and then Dean Curley drew another as Fischer scored on a bases-loaded walk. A Reese Chapman sac fly brought home Hunter Ensley as the Vols plated four runs in the sixth to take an 8-2 lead.
Marcus Phillips picked up another pair of strikeouts in the sixth to give him eight on the night, tying his season-high. However, after Phillips allowed a leadoff homer in the seventh, Tony Vitello turned to the bullpen.
Phillips exited the game to a standing ovation from the Lindsey Nelson Stadium crowd. AJ Russell replaced Phillips on the mound.
Tennessee added a couple of more runs in the ninth, and Cincinnati also plated a pair to cut the deficit to 10-6.
Brandon Arvidson replaced Russell with two outs in the ninth and struck out the final batter to secure the win.
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UP NEXT: Tennessee will face the winner of Wake Forest/Cincinnati tomorrow night.
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