CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — With two outs in the ninth inning, Henry Ford blasted a game-tying home run off ECU ace Ethan Norby, and the Tennessee dugout exploded.
Typically, teams that find such a dramatic moment late in the game go on to steal a win. The Vols did not, and it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Tennessee was unable to scratch across the winning run in extra innings against ECU on Friday despite creating chance after chance for themselves late. From the 11th through the 13th innings, Tennessee recorded five hits and drew a hit batter. The Vols scored one run and stranded five runners.
“Our guys just need to relax and just let the ball kind of come to them right there and execute,” head coach Josh Elander said. “Credit to East Carolina. A lot of splitters, that’s kind of a different look, some balls diving down in the bottom of the zone. Our guys need to see the ball up a little bit better there in those situations.”
The team struggled to start rallies or cash in on the few they did generate early in the game. In the fifth inning, Reese Chapman doubled and advanced to third on a Manny Marin sacrifice. The senior was then doubled off third after Blaine Brown lined out to second.
“It was just a contact play right there,” Elander said. “Infield’s in, (Reese) was going through his fundamental steps right there. Kind of a weird, we call that a ‘hold the line’ swing. Blaine is fighting to stay through the baseball, just a little bit too aggressive on that first step towards the plate, and unable to get back.”
Such an outcome foreshadowed the problems with runners in scoring position that would prove fatal. In the 11th, Stone Lawless delivered a pinch-hit single to open the inning. A sacrifice and a hit batter gave the Vols runners at first and second with just one out, with Blake Grimmer and Ford due up. Neither came through.
While Bo Rhudy kept the Pirates at bay in the top of the 12th, the Vols again gave themselves a chance to win in the bottom of the inning. Trent Grindlinger and Levi Clark each tallied a base hit to give the Vols first and second, with nobody out. After Chapman sacrificed the runners to second and third, Marin stepped to the plate with the winning run 90 feet away. He took a first-pitch strike before trying to lay down a bunt to try and squeeze home the winning run, but he pushed it foul. Marin then struck out.
“Wanted to give Manny a chance to get it done right there,” Elander said. “It’s an indefensible play if you execute it right there, but we were unable to do so.”
In theory, it seemed like the right idea, as ECU first baseman Austin Irby was positioned well off the bag. The execution, as was the common theme all day, was poor. Meanwhile, ECU executed the same play to perfection in the next half inning to take a 3-2 lead.
“That was one of many plays that could have changed the game,” Elander said.
Again, three outs from defeat, Grimmer would deliver Tennessee’s first hit with a runner in scoring position all day to bring home Garrett Wright to tie the game at three in the 13th. It would also prove to be the only hit in that situation, and the Vols surrendered four in the 14th to drop the opener. As a team, the Vols finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Elander again said that while the offense had typically been good in those situations this season, the execution needed to be better in those situations after the game. Grimmer had a similar assessment while trying to steer away from panic.
“I don’t think we really have to change really much for tomorrow,” Grimmer said. “I think we did well today. Just executing in spots, didn’t get it done today. I think really nothing’s gonna change, maybe ramp up the intensity a little bit more.”
One more hit could have drastically changed the outcome of the day and the trajectory of the weekend for the Vols. They simply didn’t execute when it mattered the most, and now they will walk into Boshamer Stadium on Saturday with their season on the line.
