3
South Carolina 33-19, 13-15 SEC
9
WinnerTennessee 44-10, 20-8 SEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | X | 9 | 9 | 0 |
W: Causey, AJ (10-3) L: Ty Good (5-2)
Emma Ramsey/Tennessee Athletics
Moore Breaks Single-Season Home Run Record in 9-3 Win Over #23 Gamecocks
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Game Recap: Baseball | May 16, 2024
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Christian Moore continued his record-breaking season with another stellar performance in No. 1/1 Tennessee’s 9-3 series-opening victory over No. 23/24 South Carolina on Thursday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The junior slugger claimed sole possession of the Volunteers’ single-season home run record after hitting a pair of mammoth blasts in his first two at-bats of the game, giving him 26 for the season, surpassing Sonny Cortez’s previous record of 24 set back in 1998.
Moore finished with a game-high three hits and three runs scored to pace the Big Orange to their 20th SEC victory of the year, marking the third time in the past four seasons that UT has reached the 20-win plateau in conference play.
Kavares Tears and Dylan Dreiling also homered in the win as Tennessee recorded its 18th game this season with four or more long balls. Tears’ three-run shot in the third inning gave the Vols some breathing room, extending their lead to 5-1 while Dreiling’s two-run blast in the seventh capped the scoring for the Big Orange (44-10, 20-8 SEC).
Billy Amick had a solid night at the plate, as well, going 2-for-4 with an RBI double while Blake Burke drove in a run in the fourth inning with his SEC-leading 23rd double.
AJ Causey improved to 10-3 on the year after posting another solid relief outing, striking out eight batters while allowing two runs on six hits over 5.1 innings. The junior righthander is the fourth UT pitcher to reach the 10-win mark under head coach Tony Vitello and pitching coach Frank Anderson, joining Chad Dallas (11 in 2021), Blade Tidwell (10 in 2021) and Chase Dollander (10 in 2022).
Kirby Connell held the Gamecocks off the board for the final 1.2 innings, allowing just one hit while striking out a pair. The veteran lefty has now recorded eight straight scoreless relief appearances.
Ty Good started and suffered the loss for South Carolina (33-19, 13-15 SEC) after giving up six earned runs on five hits and four walks in four innings of work.
Ethan Petry led the Gamecocks at the plate with two hits, including a solo home run to put them ahead 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Catcher Cole Messina also had a pair of knocks and a solo homer while scoring two runs on the night.
STAT OF THE GAME: With Moore’s two-homer night, Tennessee has now had 15 multi-home run games from eight different players this season. Moore leads the way with four, followed closely by Amick and Dreiling, who have three apiece.
UP NEXT: The Vols and Gamecocks square off again on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network+ and ESPN app.
