Photo Credit: Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics
By Riley Haltom
HOOVER, Ala. – The one-seed Tennessee Volunteers took down the 11-seed LSU Tigers, 4-3,
in the SEC Tournament Championship game on Sunday afternoon. The win gives the Vols the regular season outright championship along with the tournament championship. This makes Tennessee’s second championship in three years and fifth all-time. Winning pitcher Dylan Loy appreciates that he was able to bring the championship to Tennessee.
“Wearing the orange means so much to me,” Loy said. “And being able to bring home the trophy is a lifelong dream.”
Here are some more takeaways from the Vols win:
Hunter Ensley Has A Day
Hunter Ensley was the story in the SEC Championship game. The redshirt junior outfielder had himself a day against the Tigers, going 4-4, topping his season high for hits in a game. Ensley had an RBI single in the seventh inning to put the Vols up 4-1. Ensley also recorded a stolen base. In a game where offense was at a premium, Ensley was a bright spot for the Vol offense that was otherwise stagnant. Ensley shut out the noise to have the success he did.
“I was just trying to slow everything down today. Huge crowd. Obviously a great opponent that we have the utmost respect for in LSU. So really for me it was just getting in the box, slow everything down and breathe as much as possible to relax.”
Dylan Loy Goes Distance, Kirby Closes It Out
Dylan Loy entered the game in relief of starting pitcher AJ Russell and shut the game down. Loy went 4.2 innings, allowing only two hits and two walks while recording five punchouts. LSU head coach Jay Johnson was impressed with Loy’s performance.
“Yeah, he did a nice job. They pitch really, really well. You know, they didn’t miss over the plate very much. They seem to keep the ball away from the hitter’s eyes well. They change speeds,” Johnson said. “And he’s deceptive. He hides the ball really well. And nice performance by him.”
Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello was also impressed with Loy’s run.
“Blessed to have Frank Anderson be apart of our staff, with how pitching worked out today,” Vitello said. “The plan was to see how many outs Dylan Loy could get, and he far exceeded our expectations.”
Cal Stark Behind The Plate
Catcher Cal Stark made a huge play in the bottom of the sixth. After Vitello elected to move on from Loy, Andrew Behnke struggled in relief, walking two batters to load the bases. Kirby Connell then came in, and before he could finish the at-bat, Stark picked off Steven Milam to end the inning and get the Vols out of a jam. Stark enjoys making defensive plays.
“It’s something me and Blake [Burke] enjoy doing,” Stark said. “We saw an opportunity, got a good pitch, and made it happen.”
Award Winners
Blake Burke was awarded SEC Tournament MVP, along with being selected to the all-
tournament team. Kavares Tears was also awarded a spot on the all-tournament team.
Billy Amick Makes the Difference
In the third inning, the Vols got back around to the top of their lineup. After Christian Moore recorded his only hit of the day, Blake Burke walked to put two on with two outs. Billy Amick, who had gone 0-17 to that point in the tournament, broke his cold streak at the best time in the best way, sending a three-run homer to left to put Tennessee up 3-1. The Vols will need Amick at his best as they prepare for NCAA regionals. Hunter Ensley has no doubt Amick will get back to form.
“Yeah, that guy is a stud, first of all. I mean, maybe the results were not there all weekend, but I think you can go back from every single game and pick out a couple positives that guy had at the plate, whether it was moving a runner, hitting a ball hard just right at somebody,” Ensley said. “But I mean, getting a result, for sure helps the confidence, and a game like that, it can really get you going.”
The Vols will wait to learn their draw in regionals, announced May 27. Host sites will be
announced via the NCAA social media accounts tonight, where the Vols almost certainly will see their name.