Dean Curley’s HR, 4 RBIs help Tennessee beat Cincinnati 10-6

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dean Curley had four RBIs, including a solo homer, Andrew Fischer added two doubles and three RBIs and host Tennessee beat Cincinnati 10-6 on Saturday night at the Knoxville Regional.

Tennessee (45-16), the defending national champion, can clinch a berth in the super regionals for the fifth consecutive season with a victory Sunday over the winner between the No. 3 seed Bearcats and second-seeded Miami of Ohio, which lost to Cincinnati 11-6 on Friday.

Gavin Kilen had four hits and scored three runs for the Volunteers. Marcus Phillips (4-4) gave up three runs on four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts across six innings. Brandon Arvidson came on with runners at second and third with two out in the ninth and struck out pinch-hitter Kory Klingenbeck for his first save of the season.

Curley hit a two-run single off Bearcats starter Kellen O’Connor (3-3) in the first inning and added a home run in the third inning that made it 3-0.

Jack Natili answered in the home half with an RBI single and Cal Sefcik’s sacrifice fly made it a one-run game.

Kilen tripled in the fourth inning and then scored on a groundout by Fischer, whose two-RBI double sparked a four-run sixth that gave Tennessee an 8-2 lead. Manny Marin’s two-run single in the ninth made it 10-2.

Christian Mitchelle hit a solo home run for Cincinnati (33-25) in the seventh inning. Quinton Coats and Sefcik each had an RBI in the ninth to cap the scoring.

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