KNOXVILLE — A perfect record remained intact for the University of Tennessee baseball team Wednesday as the Volunteers battled the rain to rout UNC Asheville, 12-1, at Lindsey Nelson stadium.
This offense is something else y’all #GBO pic.twitter.com/t1sRVZ8bhs
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) February 27, 2020
The 19th-ranked Vols (9-0) pounded 15 hits, including three home runs and two doubles against the Bulldogs (2-6).
Alerick Soularie, UT’s preseason All-American, homered to open the scoring in the bottom of the second inning and appears to becoming out of a slump that saw him go 0-for-13 in his first three games of the 2020 campaign.
Evan Russell and Connor Pavolony also went deep for the Big Orange, which extended its advantage to 12-0 with two runs in the third. The Vols would blow things open with five in the sixth and four more in the seventh.
Liam Spence, hitting in the leadoff spot for the Vols, went 3-for-5 with an RBI, a run and a stolen base to lead Tennessee’s offensive attack.
Pavolony, Jake Rucker and Pete Derkay each had two hits.
Mark McLaughlin went five innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win on the mound. He surrendered a hit and a walk, while recording five strikeouts.