By Tristan Thornhill
Here it is, rivalry week. Volunteers vs Commodores is a series that everyone circles when the schedule is released, and this series shouldn’t disappoint with a lot of seeding implications still on the line.
A scuffling No. 15/8 Tennessee team opened the final SEC series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium with a 3-2 win. The Vols (38-11, 10-14) are 1-4 in their last five SEC series, and need all the momentum they can get as the SEC regular season winds down.
No. 11/10 Vanderbilt (34-15, 14-10) comes into Knoxville winning 2 of their last 5 series in SEC play and dropping a midweeker to No. 20 Louisville on Tuesday.
Both teams are seeking to get back on track before the SEC tournament starts on May 20, and the first game of the series gets the foot in the right direction.
A good ole pitchers dule opened the series as D1 Baseballs’ top ranked pitcher Liam Doyle faced up against Vanderbilt’s JD Thompson. Doyle, who’s been pitching with a blister on his left middle finger, started tonight’s game after finishing the second game of last weekend’s series against Auburn, after rain cause funky scheduling.
“Everything felt good,” Doyle said after his dominant win against Vandy on Friday. “Obviously, it was a weird weekend last weekend… But, you know, pretty much stayed on the same routine.”
Well, whether it was his routine or just straight up talent, Doyle shoved his way to a gutsy win, his nineth on the year. Doyle recorded 12 strikeouts with no walks or earned runs through 7 innings on Friday night against a talented Vanderbilt lineup.
But Doyle had tons of help from his defense along the way.
If you didn’t know it before, well, I guess you’ve been in a Captain America-like coma, but Hunter Ensley is a fantastic center fielder.
In the bottom of the second, Reese Chapman followed two straight hits by Dean Curley and Dalton Bargo with an RBI single, giving Tennessee an early 1-0 lead.
It’d stay that way into the bottom of the sixth, when Bargo barreled a single to left field, scoring Ensley on a slide reminiscent of the one he made last year in Omaha against Texas A&M.
But Ensley wasn’t done there.
In the top of the seventh inning, after Vandy left fielder Braden Holcomb was hit by a pitch, Colin Barczi hit a 1-1 off-speed pitch to the deepest part of Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The entire crowd held their breathe, as Ensley swirled around, and slowly approached the wall. In that moment, it was silent, everyone was sure him slowing down meant it was gone, and the Commodores had tied it up at two.
The last thing this Tennessee team needs right now is dropping Game 1 of rivalry weekend with Arkansas still to play next weekend.
But suddenly, Ensley leaps, puts his glove on the yellow center line, and comes down with the catch.
The building erupts with cheers, as Ensley fires it back in, and Curley notices that Holcomb rounded second base, but ever retagged the bag in his haste back to first. Tennessee pulled off an improbable double play, getting them out of the inning.
The entire way back to the dugout, fans and players tipped their caps to Ensley, who had a wide grin on his face.
Doyle said it was “Just how we drew it up.” His initial reaction was a disheartened one, believing he had given up the game-tying home run. “I got nothing bad to say about [Ensley]… I don’t know a better defensive center fielder in the country.”
“It was a game saver, that’s the only way to really describe it… the influence, the calmness, and the leadership, I think he’s even starting to direct traffic a little bit.” – Tony Vitello on Hunter Ensley’s performance.
In the bottom of the seventh, Manny Marin singled to left field, scoring Cannon Peebles, and extending the Tennessee lead to 3-0. This run would prove to be the difference maker.
In the top of the eighth, Rustan Rigdon singled up the middle, even after a great play from Ariel Antigua, who was fresh into the game for defense. Thankfully for Tennessee, they got out of the inning without allowing another run to score.
In the ninth, Dylan Loy came on for the save, however after recording the first out, Brodie Johnston smacked a homer to left center field, making it a 3-2 ballgame.
Vitello called on Nate Snead to come in and record the final two outs.
Snead punched out Holcomb, leaving Colin Barczi as Vanderbilt’s last hope.
Barczi hit it about as well as you could, but that man patrolling center called game for Tennessee.
Ensley made yet another sparkling play to win the game on a sliding catch. It was fitting that he recorded the final out on the day he had. When asked which catch was his favorite, Ensley replied, “The one at the wall was pretty cool, but I like the last one. Probably better than most, it kind of gives you a deep breath knowing it’s the last out of the game. I thought it was a good play to end the game with how well the pitchers threw tonight and, ya know, grateful to make the catch.”
Tennessee certainly needed to start this series off on the right foot after their recent stretch of SEC play. The Vols will play Game 2 of this three-game set on Saturday at 5:30 PM EST.