Vols gain tight-game experience against Mizzou

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – Tennessee baseball earned its second conference sweep of the season on Saturday, closing out a scrappy Missouri squad with a 3-2 victory.

Candace Parker, a 3-time WNBA champion and 2-time Olympic gold medalist, retires

The day before that, it was another 3-2 win for the Big Orange.

The No. 3 team in the country has won their fair share of games, but not many of them have come down to the wire – not like the pair of these games with the Tigers. It’s why this weekend’s experience with some nail-biters, in an SEC environment, will become even more valuable to the team as they move towards the conference tournament and beyond.

“I think it’s really good for the team,” senior relief pitcher Kirby Connell said Saturday. “To get guys like Dean [Curley] and some of the younger guys get to realize what a regional game – a super regional game is like.”

“If anything, our guys should take a deep breath and realize they won games in a bunch of different ways,” head coach Tony Vitello said. “You need reps at these one-run games.”

“We haven’t had a lot of them,” he continued. “So, to pile up two right there is stressful, but now that it’s over with, it’s definitely good experience.”

Tennessee gets back to work against Lipscomb on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

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