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HOUSTON - One day after toppling nationally-ranked Texas, the Tennessee Volunteers were served a dose of reality Saturday by Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders scored in five of the first six innings and took advantage of three UT errors in claiming a 7-3 win in the Houston College Classic at Minute Maid Park.

In addition to the errors, the Vols misjudged a fly ball that resulted in a double and also had two other fielder's choice misplays that allowed Tech runners to reach safely.

"We made costly errors and played from behind all night," UT coach Todd Raleigh said. "We just didn't come out with the same intensity and focus that we did against Texas (Friday night).

"I didn't see this coming in batting practice. We just have to put this behind us and get ready for Oklahoma at 11 o'clock in the morning."

The Vols (4-2) fell behind 3-0 in the second inning and couldn't recover. They trimmed the Tech lead to 3-1 and 5-3, but each time the Red Raiders answered to pull away.

Tennessee starting pitcher Nick Hernandez (0-1) struggled through 4 <0x00BA> innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs in a 95-pitch effort. The 6-foot-4 left-hander walked one, but delivered a wild pitch and hit a batter.

"We just weren't focused," Hernandez said. "We made some bad plays - myself included - that dug ourselves a hole.

"We proved last night against Texas that we can play with anybody. I felt fine out there today, but I didn't pitch well enough. That's really the bottom line."

Tennessee sliced Tech's lead to 5-3 in the fifth when Vol third baseman Cody Brown delivered a two-run single.

Danny Lima walked to start the inning and P.J. Polk followed with a single to left. After leadoff hitter Andy Simunic bunted the runners up a base, Kentrail Davis walked to load the bases.

Brown ripped a shot through the middle of the infield that deflected off Tech shortstop Chris Hall's glove into shallow center, scoring Lima and Polk.

The Vols, though, were unable to tack on any more as Yan Gomes popped up and Jeff Lockwood grounded out.

"We left some scoring opportunities out there," Raleigh said. "One time we had the bases loaded and nobody out, and another time we had runners at second and third with one out and didn't produce."

Tech took advantage of a pair of Tennessee errors to open a 3-0 lead after the top of the second.

"Our defense didn't help out our pitching staff," Brown said.

The Vols got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a two-out, bases-loaded walk to Polk. Tennessee, though, could have had a much more productive inning because it loaded the bases with none out.

The Red Raiders regained a three-run lead in the third when Tech right fielder Roger Kieschnick crushed a 420-foot home run to center field.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.