Four Quick Takes on an instant classic over Clemson
CLEMSON — Tennessee’s 14 inning 6-5 win over Clemson to advance to the regional finals was one for the ages. It was a baseball game with everything.
Tennessee plated the go-ahead run on a Hunter Ensley double to the wall, five innings after the game should have been over. From there, Seth Halvorsen was able to slam the door shut and Tennessee’s marathon regional game with Clemson was finally won at 6-5 in 14 frames.
With the victory, Tennessee (40-19) advances on to the Clemson Regional championship and will await the winner of Sunday’s elimination game between (1) Clemson and (3) Charlotte, who play at noon. The Vols can punch their Super Regional ticket with a victory tomorrow night. If they lose, they can still win the regional on Monday.
Zane Denton’s three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning briefly gave the Vols a one-run lead before Clemson (44-18) tied it up in the bottom of the ninth. From there, zeros spanned the scoreboard until the 14th when Ensley’s double brought home Maui Ahuna who reached first via a walk.
Seth Halvorsen (3-3) picked up the win in relief after tossing the final 3.1 innings of scoreless baseball for the Vols. Casey Talent (1-1) is charged with the loss, after surrendering the go-ahead run in the top of the 14th.
The Vols are victorious and will play for a spot in the Super Regionals on Sunday, but first, how did this one happen for the Big Orange?
I mean, holy hell!
Good grief, what a ballgame. There are so many moments you could point towards and say ‘hey, that was the difference right there.’ Tennessee had its back against the wall countless times, but didn’t give up. It was down to its last strike but kept on swinging. It put itself in harms way out in the field but the Vols worked themselves out of plenty of jams in the extra frames. This game, like the extra innings win over Vanderbilt, is the type of win that defines seasons. And oh yeah, you snapped the 17 game win-streak Clemson was riding high on. You put yourself in the driver’s seat and can get some much needed rest tomorrow instead of turning right around and fighting for your lives at noon. What a damn game.
Zane Denton was massive in this one, cutting the Tigers’ lead in half with a solo home run in the seventh inning. Down to his last strike in the bottom of the ninth, Denton blasts one over the left field wall for a three-run shot to give Tennessee the lead. Massive props to Christian Moore and Blake Burke for starting that two-out rally as well. The Tennessee native was incredible in this one.
And what can we say about Chase Burns? He got demoted midseason only to come out and dominate Vanderbilt en route to SEC Pitcher of the Week honors. That was his response. Burns’ last outing wasn’t a pretty one. He allowed four runs off five hits in just 0.1 innings of work at South Carolina to end the regular season. His response to that was tonight, his next outing. The righty tossed 6.1 innings in relief, allowing just one run off six hits with eight strikeouts and four walks. He threw a season-high 99 pitches. Burns hadn’t thrown more than 50 pitches since April 16. What an effort!
And Seth Halvorsen deserves some praise as well, picking up the win after 3.1 innings of spotless baseball. Ethan Payne laid down a pair of critical sacrifice bunts and stretched out long to receive that double play ball in the tenth. What a team-game from Tennessee tonight. Hats off.
Welcome back, Blake Burke
Tennessee’s first baseman was slumping in the worst way. Blake Burke had tallied just one hit in his past 18 at-bats entering the ballgame and was visibly frustrated with his 0-for-4 performance in the regional opener against Charlotte, despite his team’s strong effort in the 8-1 victory. His batting average had dipped all the way down to .282 entering the tonight and he’s been moved down to the sixth spot in the order. It has been pretty bleak for Blake Burke here lately.
But sometimes, one game is all it takes. If that’s it, then Saturday was an awesome day – not just for Burke but for Tennessee as a whole. The first baseman registered two singles in his first two at-bats of the ballgame. His throw to first plate helped save a run from scoring in the second inning and his stretch at the first base bag helped end a threat in the third.
Welcome back to the show, Blake Burke.
Who are these DEFENSIVE Vols?
Tony Vitello didn’t know if Saturday was Tennessee’s best defensive game of the year, but he said he’d take it every time. I’ll say it for you, Tony. That was easily the best I’ve seen the Vols flash the leather this year – and remember – this team has improved greatly on the defensive end as the year has gone on. Cal Stark continues to be a weapon behind the plate, throwing out two more runners in this one. On both of those throws, second baseman Christian Moore and third baseman Zane Denton made incredible tags. Good play all-around.
Christian Scott’s outfield assist in the bottom of the eighth inning was impressive too. He was at the wall towards the corner and threw a dart to hose Riley Betram at second base who was trying to stretch a single into a double. But nothing tops the double play in the bottom of the 10th inning with the game on the line. Chase Burns was cruising along, giving the Vols everything he had in his elite relief appearance. However, he loaded the bases with nobody out. The winning run was 90 feet away and all Burns did was strikeout a batter and then induce a 4-6-3 groundball double play that ended the threat. Initially called safe at first, video review overturned it, and the game went on.
Tennessee played some lights out defense against Clemson – and because of that – they are sitting in the diver’s seat just needing one more win to [likely] host a Super Regional.
Nightmare of a 5th inning
We had quite the pitching duel going on between Clemson’s Caden Grice and Tennessee’s Chase Dollander through four innings before things began to unravel in the fifth. Unfortunately, it was when the Vols hurler was on the bump as the Tigers combined for four runs off five hits to take [what felt like] a commanding lead at 4-1. Dollander was chased from the ballgame in place of Chase Burns, but even the reliever got knocked around on his first pitch of the outing.
Benjamin Blackwell got the party started with an infield single to shortstop where Maui Ahuna made a great stop. He stole second and then moved to third on a single by Jacob Jarrell in the nine-hole. When the lineup flipped back over, that’s when things got bad as ACC Freshman of the Year Cam Cannarella blasted a three-run home run. Caden Grice later helped his own cause with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring another on the hit-and-run on the first pitch of Chase Burns’ relieve outing.
The frame was deflating as the Vols were retired in order the next half inning, even grounding into the inning-ending double-play.
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