Super Regional Recap: Evansville upsets Tennessee, 10-8

The Vols are now 29-1 in games when the offense hits three or more home runs

Evansville scored 10 runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, while UT’s offense stranded six runners in those same frames, and despite scoring three in the ninth, Tennessee left the bases loaded in its final at bat of the 10-8 loss.

UT’s offense came scorching out of the gates with three home runs, two that went back-to-back, in the top of the first inning. Blake Burke started the scoring off again today as he went deep for his 19th shot of the season that went 413 feet and left the bat at 104 MPH:

After a 10-pitch at bat from Amick that ended in an out, Dylan Dreiling left the yard with another solo shot, this one over the fence in right-center for his 20th of the long ball this year. Dreiling joined Christian Moore and Billy Amick as Vols with 20 or more home runs.

Three pitches later, Hunter Ensley launched another ball out of the park. The long ball was Ensley’s 13th hit in UT’s last six games, dating back to the win against LSU for the SEC Championship.

While Tennessee teed off on Evansville starter Donovan Schultz, Vols’ starter Drew Beam allowed one baserunner — on a four-pitch walk — through the first three innings with four strikeouts.

The bats added another run in the T2 after Dean Curley drew a lead-off walk and Cal Stark doubled to center, which chased Schultz from the game. Aces’ reliever Jakob Meyer walked Christian Moore to load the bases, and Burke hit a sac fly to bring Curley home. Meyer got Amick to fly out on the first pitch, and Tennessee stranded two but left the second with a 4-0 lead.

Evansville didn’t manage a hit until the fourth frame, when Beam gave up two consecutive base knocks. A ground-ball out scored the first run, and then Cal McGinnis went deep for the second time in two games with a two-run shot to right.

Meyer sat Tennessee down in order in the third, gave up a double and two HBP in the fourth but didn’t allow a run. The Vols managed just one run off Meyer in his 3.2 innings of work after Dreiling drew a lead-off walk in the fifth, stole second and Tears brought him home with a double. But UT stranded two more runners in T5 as Meyer walked Curley with two outs but got Bradke Lohry to fly out and end the frame.

After scoring three in the fourth, Evansville plated three more in the fifth to take a 6-5 lead. Beam gave up a lead-off single, got two outs then gave up another hit that scored a run. Tony Vitello went to Kirby Connell, who lasted just one batter after he gave up a run-scoring double. Vitello tried Nate Snead, who came in and surrendered two-straight hits that each plated a run. After five, the Aces had a 6-5 lead.

Tennessee drew two, one-out walks in the sixth and both men advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch, but Amick struck out and Dreiling grounded out to strand two more. The offense was 2-10 with runners on and 1-8 with RISP through the top of the sixth inning.

Evansville started the game 0-10 at the plate and then went 10 for its next 15 to follow as it extended its lead to 8-5 thanks its first two-run home run in the bottom half of the sixth. With two outs, Snead plunked a batter, and Vitello got Andrew Behnke out of the pen. Snead lasted one inning, gave up four hits, two runs and didn’t record a strikeout. Benhke gave up the second two-run home run two pitches into his outing, which put the Aces up 10-5. Seven of Evansville’s 10 runs had come with two outs.

After the Vols went down 1-2-3 in the seventh, Benhke put up the first zero for the Vols’ defense since the third frame.

The Purple Aces’ bullpen tossed 6.2 innings of one-run ball before Nick Smith loaded the bases in the ninth after giving up two walks and a hit. He’d pitched two innings of three up, three down ball prior to the final frame.

Ensley launched a double off the wall in center that the outfielder misplayed, but only one run scored. Tears drew a four-pitch walk that plated another run and forced the Aces back to the bullpen. Curley scored Tennessee’s third run with a sac fly to left. Vitello brought in Cannon Peebles for Reese Chapman, and Peebles worked a nine-pitch walk. Cal Stark struck out before Moore flew out on the ninth pitch of his at bat to end the game with the bases loaded. For the game, UT stranded 11 base runners to Evansville’s five. The Purple Aces’ offense went 8-16 in two-out hitting situations — while the Vols were 3-12 — and 9-18 with runners on base.

The two teams will play the rubber match tomorrow at 6 PM.