Tennessee holds off Mississippi State to take Game 1 in Starkville, 6-5
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Tennessee baseball needed that one in a big way.
The Volunteers took Game 1 in Starkville on Friday night, downing the No. 9 Mississippi State Bulldogs by a score of 6-5. Tennessee used a strong 8th inning to push its lead to 6-3, seeing Garrett Wright and Nate Eisfelder both drive in runs with a pair of singles. Levi Clark also drove in a run, beating an attempted double play that would have ended the inning.
Standout pitcher Cam Appenzeller posted another strong relief appearance to slam the door shut, improving his W/L record to 5-0 in the process. He gave up a solo shot in the 9th to keep things interesting, but was still able to put Mississippi State to bed with the final out, seen below:
Tennessee has not fared well in SEC play this season, especially in Game 1s. The Vols were 1-3 in Game 1s heading into Friday’s matchup and boast just one series win on the season. Tennessee previously fell to Georgia, LSU and Vanderbilt with their lone series victory coming against Missouri.
Of course, the Vols will look to claim another series win on Saturday against the Bulldogs. First pitch for Game 2 of the series is set for 7 p.m. ET Saturday night from Dudy Noble Field. The game will be available for streaming on SEC Network+.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
