KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Appalachian State Baseball held Tennessee's offense in check but lost 2-0 on Saturday against the Volunteers, who scored on a third-inning sacrifice fly and fifth-inning RBI groundout.
App State pitchers
Tyler Tuthill,
Kaleb Bowman and
Brandon Boone allowed a combined six hits and totaled seven strikeouts.
Riley Smith posted a hit for the second straight day, and freshman
Phillip Cole recorded the first hit of his college career.
Making his college debut as a freshman, the left-handed Tuthill struck out the first two batters he faced in a clean first inning and pitched around a leadoff double in the second by striking out Jake Rucker with the bases loaded to end the threat.
Tuthill finished with five strikeouts and one run allowed on two hits in four innings. He exited after 83 pitches, and Bowman allowed a fifth-inning run before retiring the side on six pitches in the sixth inning.
Boone allowed two hits and issued two walks but stranded all four runners in two scoreless innings.
The Volunteers (2-0) got five scoreless innings from right-handed starter Zach Linginfelter, who posted five strikeouts, and a four-inning save from hard-throwing lefty Garrett Crochet, who retired all 12 batters he faced and struck out nine of them.
The Mountaineers (0-2) close their season-opening series against Tennessee on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Cameron Kepley, a sophomore, is App State's probable starter on the mound.
Aggressive baserunning contributed to both Tennessee runs Saturday.
A double steal with one out in the third set up Evan Russell's sacrifice fly off Tuthill, who induced a pop-up to end the inning. Two innings later, with Bowman on the mound, Justin Ammons hit a leadoff single and moved to third on Jay Charleston's single.
Bowman recorded a strikeout, and Charleston stole second with one away. Moments later, without the double play in order, Ammons scored as Russell grounded out to shortstop
Joel McDaniel.
Offensively, Cole reached base twice by also drawing a walk.
Bailey Welch and
Kendall McGowan also drew walks from the top third of the order, and Welch stole one base.
App State Baseball would like to thank AutoStar Nissan of Boone for serving as the presenting sponsor of the 2019 season.
