Ninth Inning Rally Powers Tennessee Over Georgia Tech as Vols Advance to Super Regionals
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.– Just like Friday, the top-ranked Vols found themselves uncharacteristically trailing.
But this time it was for longer.
After the fourth inning, the Vols trailed 4-0 and did not take the lead until the game's final inning, posting a thrilling six-spot in their ninth-inning rally. Jared Dickey knocked a pinch-hit single to kick off the inning, Jordan Beck tied with an RBI double, Trey Lipscomb was hit by a pitch to give the Big Orange the lead, and Christian Moore delivered a go-ahead two-run single to give Tennessee their first multi-run lead.
And the Vols weren't finished there, plating two more off an Evan Russell RBI single and Cortland Lawson sac fly.
To get to that spot, though, the Vols had to stop the hot Yellow Jacket bats, and Will Mabrey did just that.
Tennessee's left-handed junior reliever shoved for 3.2 scoreless innings, providing his team with an elite relief outing much like Kirby Connell did against the Fighting Camels.
Mabrey relieved Drew Beam, who was so-so in his start for the Volunteers, giving up four runs (two earned). After Mabrey, Redmond Walsh got the ball and retired the side in just three pitches in the eighth before nearly allowing the Jackets to produce a ninth-inning rally of their own.
But the super-senior dealt two big strikeouts to prevent that, and the Big Orange Machine will keep churning into the Super Regionals of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season on the road to Omaha.
Tennessee Baseball seemingly always finds a way to eventually deliver, especially when they're trailing. On Saturday, the Vols pulled off one of the most exciting wins of their 56-win season in Knoxville.
Here's how it all happened.
Vols Waste Opportunities in First Three Innings
Tennessee was the road team for the second consecutive night on Sunday, given that Georgia Tech had been the away team less than the Vols this weekend. Therefore, Seth Stephenson was the first batter to set foot in the Lindsey Nelson Stadium batter's box.
Stephenson got the Vols started on the right foot with a leadoff single, and Luc Lipcius joined him by working a walk with no outs.
However, the two were left stranded as Jordan Beck struck out before Drew Gilbert grounded into a double play.
Tennessee's leadoff man got on base again in the second inning, as Trey Lipscomb knocked a single through the left side. The Vols' home run leader later advanced to second on a wild pitch with two outs, but Evan Russell grounded out to keep him there.
And then it happened again.
Cortland Lawson got on base with a leadoff single to left-center in the top of the third, but he didn't stay on base long, as he was out at second when Seth Stephenson hit a soft grounder to shortstop.
Stephenson later stole second, but he was stranded there after Luc Lipcius and Jordan Beck struck out.
Drew Beam Gets the Start, Evan Russell Sets Program Record
Tennessee started freshman RHP Drew Beam on the mound for Sunday's game, per the usual. Catching Beam for the Vols was Evan Russell, who logged his first start in the NCAA Tournament after not starting the first two games of the Regional due to personal health matters. With Russell's start, he set the program record for most games played by a Tennessee Baseball Volunteer with 230. When the stadium's PA announced Russell as starting catcher, he received large applause in Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Beam started sharp on the mound, working around a leadoff walk in the first and retiring the Yellow Jackets in order in the second.
However, Beam's sharp performance did not last much longer, as Georgia Tech's offense found some success in the third before getting to Beam in the fourth.
Vols Find Themselves in Second Straight Four-Run Hole After Four
After allowing a one-out walk and double in the bottom of the third, Beam was in his first tough spot of the night with a pair of Yellow Jackets in scoring position.
The freshman responded well against his first batter, striking out Chandler Simpson, and Beam had Georgia Tech's best hitter Kevin Parada on the ropes during the following at-bat.
And the Yellow Jacket with 26 home runs on the season should've been retired to end the inning as he dribbled a soft grounder to Cortland Lawson, but the Vols' shortstop uncharacteristically committed an error on his throw to first that allowed the two walked batters, Colin Hall and Jadyn Jackson, to score.
Beam then retired his next batter, but Tennessee found themselves in a hole early after Lawson's mistake.
Georgia Tech's starting pitcher Zach Maxwell continued his dominant outing in the top of the fourth, retiring the side around a two-out Jorel Ortega single. Ortega had advanced to second on a wild pitch, but he was left stranded after Blake Burke struck out, marking four straight innings a Tennessee baserunner had been stranded in scoring position.
The bottom of the fourth inning was even worse for the Volunteer defense, as Beam surrendered a one-out before giving up a one-out, two-run homer to to Georgia Tech's right-fielder Stephen Reid. Beam then gave up back-to-back walks, and his day was done.
Tony Vitello went to the pen to bring in junior lefty Will Mabrey. The Cookeville, Tennessee, native was excellent in his first inning of relief, retiring his first two batters to strand the pair of walked Yellow Jackets.
But not before the top-ranked Vols had found themselves in a four-run hole for the second straight night.
Vols Cut Tech's Lead in Half
Tennessee finally capitalized on an opportunity in the fifth inning against Maxwell, scoring two runs off an error by Georgia Tech's first baseman Andrew Jenkins and an RBI groundout by Jordan Beck.
Jenkins' error came with one out and runners on first and second for the Vols after back-to-back walks to begin the inning. Evan Russell scored on the error, Cortland Lawson advanced to third and Luc Lipcius went to first.
Jordan Beck scored Lawson by knocking an RBI groundout to third base, cutting Tech's lead in half.
Mabrey continued to be solid in relief in the bottom of the fifth. Despite giving up a pair of one-out singles, Mabrey dealt a strikeout and then got a hard-hit grounder to result in Andrew Jenkins being tagged out at catcher. But Jorel Ortega made the play on the grounder, as he picked the baseball up off the turf after Lawson bobbled and fired it home to Russell, who tagged Jenkins trying to score.
Vols Miss More Opportunities
Will Mabrey continued to come up big for the Vols on the mound in the sixth and seventh innings, but Tennessee's offense couldn't quite get over the hump.
The Vols loaded the bases in the sixth with a one-out single and a pair of two-out walks, but Seth Stephenson struck out looking to strand the three runners. The final strike call on Stephenson's at-bat was highly questionable, as the pitch looked high and inside, but the home-plate umpire made the call to end the top of the frame.
In the seventh, the Vols finally did not have to face Maxwell anymore, as Tech's sophomore righty Dawson Brown got the ball for the Yellow Jackets. Tennessee had success against Brown, as Luc Lipcius hit a leadoff double before Jordan Beck cracked a single. A Drew Gilbert groundout moved the pair of runners into scoring position, and then Trey Lipscomb did what he does best: hit RBIs. The senior third baseman cracked an RBI single to score Lipcius for the Vols' only run of the seventh to cut the lead to one run.
Tennessee missed another opportunity in the eighth by wasting a leadoff walk by Blake Burke, as the inning was expedited by Evan Russell grounding into a double play before Cortland Lawson flew out.
The Vols kept it a one-run deficit, though. LHP Redmond Walsh entered the game in the bottom of the eighth after Mabrey allowed a leadoff single, and the super-senior retired the side on just three pitches to strand the Yellow Jacket.
Vols Pull Off Thrilling Ninth Inning Rally, Prevent Georgia Tech From Doing the Same
Tennessee pulled off a ninth-inning rally that was nothing short of miraculous.
Freshman utility man, Jared Dickey, got the juices flowing for the Vols with a leadoff single, and then Luc Lipcius reached on a fielder's choice to first base. Originally, Booker was called out at second on the throw, but further review confirmed the junior was safe. A huge call that went in favor of the Big Orange, something that hadn't happened much all game.
With baserunners on first and second with no outs, Jordan Beck tied the game.
Mike Honcho cracked an RBI double deep to the center-field wall, allowing the speedy Booker to tie the game and Lipcius to move to third. Dawson Brown and Georgia Tech wanted none of Drew Gilbert, intentionally walking him to load the bases. Then, Brown would give the Vols the lead by plunking Trey Lipscomb.
The Vols poured it on from then on to continue their rally. Christian Moore came up big in the second consecutive night by knocking a massive two-run single, giving Tennessee their first multi-run lead of the game. Evan Russell then brought in the next run of the inning, delivering a bases-loaded single to score Jorel Ortega, who had reached on a fielder's choice. Georgia Tech's left-fielder committed a throwing error on Russell's single to move Moore to third and Russell to second with one out.
Afterward, Georgia Tech head coach Danny Hall would decide to pull Dawson Brown in favor of reliever Logan McGuire to face Cortland Lawson.
Lawson was responsible for Tennessee's sixth and final run of the frame, hitting a sac fly to score Moore.
Georgia Tech nearly pulled off their own miraculous ninth-inning rally in the bottom, scoring two runs off a one-out two-RBI single from Tim Borden II.
After giving up the pair of runs, Walsh dealt a strikeout but then walked Drew Compton to load the bases, putting the winning run at the plate.
Still, the oldest Tennessee Volunteer delivered and got the K to send the Vols to their second consecutive super regional tournament.
Up Next
Next weekend, the Vols will return to Lindsey Nelson Stadium for the super regionals against Notre Dame with a College World Series berth on the line.