KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Senior pitcher Will Heflin dazzled on the mound to lead No. 17 Tennessee to a 6-1 victory over Georgia State in Friday night’s series opener at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Getting the start on short notice after projected starter Chad Dallas was a late scratch due to some minor soreness, Heflin was dominant from start to finish to earn his second win of the year.

The Morristown, Tennessee, native went seven innings and tied a career high with eight strikeouts on the night. The lefty did not issue a walk, scattered six hits and allowed just one run in his first start since March 26, 2019.

The Vols’ first three batters in the order had two hits each and combined for six of the team’s eight total hits. Liam Spence continued his consistent play with two more base knocks, a run and two RBI while Pete Derkay and Jake Rucker both finished the night 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Luc Lipcius (double in the sixth) and Christian Scott (single in the second) recorded the other two hits for UT. Max Ferguson did not have a hit but walked twice and came around to score on both occasions.

Sophomore left hander Kirby Connell pitched the final two innings for the Big Orange and also tied a career high with three strikeouts.

Josh Smith drove in the only run for the Panthers with a solo home run in the seventh inning. Starting pitcher Ryan Watson got the loss after allowing three runs on five hits and three walks in five innings.

The Vols (9-2) and Panthers (4-7) will be back at it tomorrow afternoon for Game 2 of the series. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. and the game can be seen live on SEC Network + and the ESPN App.

NOTABLE

HEFLIN DOMINATES ON SHORT NOTICE: Will Heflin’s last start prior to tonight came against ETSU on March 26, 2019, but the senior left hander looked like the ace of Tennessee’s staff on Friday night with a dominant performance on the mound. Heflin set a new career high with seven innings pitched and tied a career high he set earlier this season with eight strikeouts on the night.

SPENCE CONTINUES TO PRODUCE: Liam Spence has been the Vols’ most consistent hitter throughout the season and Friday night was no different as the senior shortstop led the team with two hits and two RBI. After Friday’s game, Spence leads the team in batting average (.341), runs (11), hits (15) and on-base % (.431). He is also tied for second on the team with 10 runs batted in.

-UT Athletics