Tennessee baseball got away with one.
Kent State gave everything it had on Friday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. But in the end, the Vols prevailed behind a bunch of guys who had each other’s backs.
Tyler Myatt put on more layers as the temperature dropped, trying to take the stay warm directive from assistant coach Chuck Jeroloman. His chance came in the bottom of the ninth in a tie game — and he smacked a fastball 434 feet over the batter’s eye to give Tennessee a 4-3 win over the Golden Flashes.
He picked the team up, just as each guy before him did.
“We’re just talking about when it gets hot in the kitchen, you want to have each other’s backs, right?” Elander said.
Myatt had Brady Frederick’s back. Frederick had Bo Rhudy, who picked up Mark Hindy, who relieved a level-headed Brayden Krenzel. Each of them teamed up to lift a unique starter outing from Tegan Kuhns.
Tennessee’s pitching staff gave up nine free bases. It hit six Kent State batters, and traditionally walked three. That left the bases with heavy traffic and multiple jams to get out of. And when it mattered most, the Vols’ pitchers did it.
Kent State hit 3-for-22 with runners on base. It stranded 10 on base.
“That’s the opposite of the M.O. we’ve been preaching, so I think we really got away with one,” Elander said.
But it also came with stellar defensive plays from a defense that had its pitchers’ backs. That was put on display in the third inning when Ariel Antigua made a nice play at second base for an out, and then Manny Marin made a diving stop up the middle to end the frame.
Struggles were surmounted through the evening for a Tennessee lineup that produced seven hits and failed to cross the plate until the sixth inning. The Vols needed some flyballs to move Reese Chapman around the bases to tie the game, and a deep shot off the scoreboard from Jay Abernathy to take the first lead of the night.
Tennessee appeared to be in the driver’s seat with Krenzel striking out the side in the ensuing frame. Then the ride got bumpy.
Krenzel led off the eighth with a hit-by-pitch. A wild pitch and a groundout moved the runner to third. Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe singled to bring the run home and cut the deficit to one — ending Krenzel’s day.
Hindy was called upon, and he had Krenzel’s back with a flyout to leave a runner stranded.
“Anytime you got a guy like that coming to back you up, it’s always a good time,” Krenzel said.
Rhudy was next out of the pen in the ninth, delivering a hit-by-pitch on his first delivery. He struck out a batter, then gave up a single and another HBP to load the bases with one out. An RBI single to left tied the game and ended Rhudy’s line.
That left it up to Frederick, a reliever who gave up two runs in his first appearance of the season, to have Tennessee’s back. Frederick induced two groundball outs, getting out of the bases-loaded jam.
“It’s just trusting all the preparation we’ve done,” Frederick said. “I mean, we’re here every day, grinding, and, you know, I’m here throwing every day, so why not just trust in my training or the guys behind me?”
That left it up to the offense in the bottom of the ninth in a tie game. Myatt ensured another batter wasn’t needed.
“We’re gonna do what needs to get done, right?” Frederick said. “I think, I mean, you see a guy coming off the bench tonight and that just shows our depth, right? I mean, never blink an eye. Whenever your name gets called, someone’s ready.”
The Tazewell, Tennessee, native and Walters State Community College transfer needed to see three pitches. And he got the one he was looking for.
On a night everyone had each other’s back, Myatt had the team’s back — and he kept his head high the whole time.
“We all obviously want to be in the lineup, but there’s nine spots to fill,” Myatt said, “You know, if you’re in there or not, then you still got to keep your head high. It’s pretty selfish if you’re down low.”
