Tennessee baseball struggled none with ETSU this time.
A tricky Buccaneers squad, which gave Tennessee its first loss of the 2025 season, was no match this year. The Vols recovered from a half-inning deficit to route ETSU, x-x.
Jay Abernathy and Henry Ford did their jobs at the top of the order, recording a pair of hits apiece. Ford mashed the only homer of the game on a 407-foot blast to the top deck of the porches. Reese Chapman also pieced together a perfect 3-for-3 day for the Vols (9-3).
ETSU (9-3) managed six hits against Tennessee’s six-man pitching staff.
Blaine Brown disaster start, recoups at plate
Tennessee tossed two-way phenom Blaine Brown on the midweek for the third week in a row, and the start went sideways immediately.
Brown did not record an out across 12 pitches. That included a stretch of 10 consecutive balls, beginning with a leadoff hit-by-pitch. He dished out back-to-back four-pitch walks to the two and three-hole hitters to load the bases without an out.
Cleanup hitter Henry Ferguson took the first two pitches he saw, and Brown’s day ended without an out on the board. Brady Frederick took over, allowing a singular run on a sacrifice fly to limit the damage.
On three occasions at Rice, Brown lasted 0.1 innings — including an outing against Tennessee. The 0.0 inning line is a rare feat for a starter, and the first time Brown has accomplished it in his pitching efforts.
Brown helped his case at the plate, though. The three-hole hitter smoked an RBI double to right-center, allowing Jay Abernathy to score.
It was part of a four-run first inning to give Tennessee a 4-1 lead.
Frederick, Cam Appenzeller tag team strong relief appearances
Frederick, the ETSU transfer, was the first to emerge from the bullpen on Tuesday. His former squad still couldn’t locate his pitches.
The submarine right-hander allowed one baserunner in three innings of work — a walk. He struck out three batters across 37 pitches.
Frederick took over for Brown in the first inning, inducing a strikeout, a sacrifice fly and a shallow flyout to limit the Bucs to one run despite a bases-loaded jam. He walked the leadoff guy in the second inning, but then retired six in a row before handing the ball off to the bullpen again.
Cam Appenzeller took over in the fourth. His outing showed why Tennessee wants to use him on the weekends. Appenzeller allowed one baserunner during his two innings of work.
He allowed a 0-2 single to the first batter he faced, then sat down the next three batters by strikeout. That trend was followed with a 1-2-3 fifth inning, retiring six in a row before coming out of the game.
Brandon Arvidson emerged next to begin the sixth inning.
Situational hitting improves
Tennessee baseball’s biggest flaw this season has been the inability to hit with runners aboard.
That was an improvement in the 60-plus-degree weather in Lindsey Nelson Stadium against ETSU. The Vols manufactured six hits with runners on in 17 opportunities — hitting .353. Six hits with runners on is more hits than Tennessee had in the entire games against Kent State (5) in game two of the series and Virginia Tech (3).
Tennessee also went 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 10-for-19 on advancement opportunities. With runners standing on third and less than two outs on the board, the Vols were a perfect 2-for-2.
Tennessee is back in action with Oakland on Wednesday, March 4, at 4 p.m. ET.
