A thrilling end to the Knoxville Regional sends the vols to the super regionals
Saul Young/News Sentinel
Volunteer fans were on the edge of their seats June 5, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. The game came down to an improbable ninth-inning comeback.
An incredible six-run outing for the Vols pushed them past the Yellow Jackets. The top-ranked team in the country won 9-6.
The Vols struggled early in the game, similar to Saturday’s game against the Campbell University Camels. SEC freshman of the year Drew Beam got the start and allowed four runs early.
Beam pitched 3.1 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs, two more runs on an error by Cortland Lawson at the bottom of the third, before being relieved by lefty Will Mabrey who calmed the game down.
The lefty junior threw 3.2 scoreless innings, which allowed the Vols to stay within reach of the Yellow Jackets.
The Vols cut the deficit to only two after the fifth inning, following a Beck groundout that brought Lawson home. At the top of the seventh, a Tre Lipscomb single to right field brought home one run and left another runner on third. Ortega would go on to hit into a double play to end the inning.
The ninth inning is where the offensive explosion began.
The first eight batters reached base at the top of the ninth for the Vols. Pinch-hitter Jared Dickey started the hit parade off with a leadoff single. Jordan Beck followed with an RBI double that flew over the center fielder’s head and brought Kyle Booker home to tie the game.
The excitement did not stop there.
Lipscomb, Christian Moore, Evan Russell, and Lawson all followed with at-bats that drove home five more runs to increase the lead to 9-4.
After a thrilling offensive showcase, the number one team needed to focus and seal the game. The new all-time leader in saves in program history, Redmond Walsh, was on the mound to save the game for the Vols. The Yellow Jackets started strong in the bottom of the ninth, scoring twice on three hits.
Georgia Tech managed to load the bases with two outs. Every fan At Lindsey Nelson Stadium was on their feet. Walsh sealed the deal with a strikeout against Collin Hall ending the game in heroic fashion. Vols fans could finally breathe and celebrate the comeback victory.
“There is a little something to this group where if something goes wrong, they kind of rally around each other,” coach Tony Vitello said. “[I’m] fortunate to be part of it.”
Tennessee had to rally for the second straight game. They scored ten ninth-inning runs over the last two games. Tennessee struggled over the previous two games but proved just how dangerous they are when they rally together.
Super Regionals
The top-ranked team will now go to the super regionals for the second consecutive year. Knoxville will host Notre Dame (38-14), who beat Texas Tech in the Statesboro Regional, in next weekend's best-of-three super regional series. Tennessee is 6-0 in school history at the super regionals and looks to continue that streak next weekend.