CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Tennessee baseball failed to capitalize on its limited offensive opportunities, scoring just three runs in a 14-inning loss against East Carolina to open up NCAA Tournament play. It was a familiar scene as the offense that dug Tennessee a hole early in SEC play dug the Vols into an even bigger hole in the Chapel Hill Regional.
“Just got guys in position to drive them in, especially second and third,” Tennessee head coach Josh Elander said. “They’re being aggressive on defense over there, bringing the infield in, and that’s a spot that we practice a ton in the fall and early spring that our guys have traditionally executed a little bit better. We weren’t able to today.”
Elander is right that Tennessee’s situational execution was poor, but that was far from the Vols’ only offensive issue.
Henry Ford’s game-tying home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning was just Tennessee’s fourth hit of the game. East Carolina’s pitchers weren’t offering many free passes either. Pirate pitchers retired the side in order five times in the game’s first nine innings.
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“They were mixing the ball well today,” Blake Grimmer said. “They both (Ryan Towers and Ethan Norby) had two pretty good pitches working today. … Didn’t get a job done today, but I think really nothing’s going to change. Maybe ramp up the intensity a little bit more tomorrow.”
The execution was putrid. Tennessee hit just 1-for-10 with runners in-scoring position but those poor numbers don’t properly illustrate the shortcoming.
Tennessee thrice put a runner on third with less than two outs. In the fifth inning, Blaine Brown hit a liner right to the second baseman with the infield in. Reese Chapman, the runner at third, took his first two steps home and was toast as the Pirates turned 4-5 double play.
“Reese has made a million good plays for us over the years, just a little bit aggressive on that front side right there,” Elander said.
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Two innings later, Henry Ford reached third base with one out before both Levi Clark and Reese Chapman struck out to end the inning.
But the most notable blunder came in the 12th inning when Tennessee put the winning run on third base with one out. Manny Marin swung away and fouled off the first pitch he saw. Tennessee then put a squeeze play on but Marin bunted the ball foul before striking out on the next pitch.
“Wanted to give Manny a chance to get it done right there, I think very simply,” Elander said. “And then, it’s an indefensible play if you execute it right there. We were unable to do so. … That was one of many plays that could have changed the game.”
Tennessee laying down three sac bunts made its inability to capitalize on the prime scoring opportunities all the worse. The Vols handed East Carolina three outs without scoring a run on any occasion.
Tennessee’s pitching staff has been inconsistent and short on reliable options over the last month. But the Vols used five different pitches who mostly performed well against East Carolina. The offense’s inability to capitalize is not a completely new phenomenon but one we have not seen in a number of weeks.
The shortcomings dug a major hole for Tennessee as the Vols now must win four straight games to advance to a sixth straight super regional.
