Four Quick Takes on a series-sweep of rival Vanderbilt
Tennessee capped off the weekend series with archrival Vanderbilt with a sweep, winning game three Sunday 10-5 on the chilly and overcast afternoon.
The Vols (26-14, 8-10 SEC) now own a seven-game winning-streak over Vanderbilt (29-11, 13-5), the longest such streak since taking eight in-a-row over the Commodores over the 1993-94 seasons. It’s the second sweep for Tennessee in conference play this year and the first since Texas A&M back in late March.
Drew Beam (5-2) picked up the win, tossing a strong 6.2 innings of two-run (one earned) baseball. Devin Futrell (6-2) took home the loss after allowing seven runs (two earned) on seven hits across 4.2 innings pitched. Tennessee pounded out the 10 runs on 12 hits while the Commodores managed just five runs on 10 hits.
Tennessee is back in the thick of things with four more series to go in conference play. But first, how did this one happen for the Volunteers?
The two-out magic continues
Tennessee put a five-spot on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second and just like Saturday’s nine run explosion in the first – each of the five runs came with two outs on the scoreboard. Tennessee’s hitting with runners in scoring position this weekend has been impressive and the two-out hitting has been phenomenal. We’ll have more on that in the weekly 3-2-1 on Monday.
Jake Kendro – who started in place of a suspended Christian Moore in the series-finale – doubled in Griffin Merritt on a drive to the left field corner. Maui Ahuna followed with a two-run double to the wall in right-centerfield and Hunter Ensley followed that with a two-run home run to left field. The centerfielder’s fourth long ball of the year travelled 373 feet and was 98 miles per hour off the bat. The Vols plated the five runs off four hits and took advantage of the error that put Griffin Merritt on base to begin the inning. Another big lead early for the Vols, taking advantage of runners in scoring positions.
Hunter Ensley goes yard – and then again
Tennessee outfielder Hunter Ensley went yard twice on Sunday, collecting home runs four and five on the season. Both were to left field, and both were juts a shade or two under 100 mph off the bat that lined out of the ballpark on a rope. His home run in the second inning was a two-run short while the long ball in the fifth was in the solo fashion. Ensley also homered earlier in the week against Tennessee Tech, meaning he’s gone deep three times on the week. Tennessee’s centerfielder finished the day going 3-for-5 at the plate with 3 RBI.
“I was staying calm and relaxed in the box,” Ensley said afterwards. ‘The first two games, I had a lot of good ABs [at-bats], and a lot of hard contact but they just weren’t falling. I was sticking to the same approach and not trying to do too much. Hunting pitches early in the count and seeing them out of their hand and hitting them.”
QB1 – Drew Beam had fire today
Tennessee already won the series, but a series-sweep would have really just been icing on the cake. In order to do that and to create some more breathing room for the team moving forward, Drew Beam needed a bounce back. The Vols needed the infamous ‘QB1’ to block out all the distractions, to not dwell on his last disastrous start at Arkansas and to give Tennessee a good start on the mound to close this thing out.
Drew Beam delivered. The righty allowed two runs, though only one was earned, on six hits and worked a quick and efficient outing on into the seventh before he was pulled with two outs. Beam retired 18 of his first 20 batters of the ballgame and sat down nine-straight at one point. In tow career starts for Beam against Vanderbilt, the mid-state native has tossed 15.2 innings of eight-hit ball while surrendering just one earned run with seven strikeouts to two walks.
Griffin Merritt playing his role
It couldn’t have been easy for him the past few weeks – seeing his playing time shrink down to a part-time role at best. But the fifth-year senior has taken it in stride and has made the most of the situation. After picking up the game-winning walk off home run I the bottom of the 12th inning on Friday night, Merritt earned the start in game three and went a casual 2-for-5 with three RBI, including a two-run double and a solo home run.
“Since he got to campus, we have known he has big-time pop,” fellow outfielder Hunter Ensley said. ‘I think he had 19 home runs last year. We knew the player he was, and he’s hit a lot of balls hard right at people all year. Once you start getting some breaks, that’s when people start talking about how this kid can hit. But we knew he could hit since he’s been here.”
One other note before we call it quits here. Today marks the 12th time the Vols have swept an opponent under Tony Vitello inside conference play. In the prior 15 seasons prior to his arrival, Tennessee accumulated just 12 series sweeps in SEC play.
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