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Tennessee Baseball: Vols Beat Eastern Kentucky Colonels 4-3 After a Walk-Off Single

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot carries the flag through the fans during Vol Walk prior to the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers mascot carries the flag through the fans during Vol Walk prior to the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tennessee baseball won the first of back-to-back midweek games Tuesday. The Volunteers beat the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 4-3 after a walk-off single.

Despite their losing record, the Tennessee Vols and Dave Serrano had to know that Eastern Kentucky was no easy pushover. After all, the now 17-25 Colonels under their first-year head coach had upset the No. 13 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs earlier in the year.

Related Story: Tennessee Football: Vols Ranked No. 13 in Sporting News Preseason Poll

And, true to expectations, this was no easy task. Senior Outfielder Chris Hall propelled the Vols to victory with a single down the left-field line in the bottom of the ninth inning to give his team a 4-3 victory over the Colonels.

In what could be described as a pitcher’s duel with no breakout inning, the Vols struck first, but Eastern Kentucky took a 2-1 lead in the third. A run by Tennessee in the sixth and seventh innings each gave them a 3-2 lead, but the Colonels tied it at three in the eighth with Zach Reid on the mound.

But after Reid dug a hole in the eighth, Hunter Martin came in and got the Vols out of the inning. He then pitched the full ninth and did not allow a run, setting up the walk-off in the bottom of the ninth.

The walk-off came after Jared Pruett opened the ninth with a single. Brodie Leftridge was able to get him in scoring position after a sacrifice bunt. And that set up Hall to send Pruett home with his game-winning single.

The win moved the Vols to 24-17 and keeps them barely alive in their quest to reach the NCAA Tournament, something that looks a lot rosier right now due to a huge series upset over the No. 4 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores over the weekend.

But their next matchup in this back-to-back is Wednesday against the Alabama State Hornets. This is a lower-level team that is extremely dangerous, as they have a 26-14 record overall and an 18-0 record in their conference. Tennessee cannot take them any more lightly than they could take Eastern Kentucky.

More volunteers: 10 Vols Who Were Major NFL Draft Busts

Perhaps they finally are building momentum, but only time will tell.

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