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Tennessee baseball caught a "fortunate break" on an interference call in its 5-3 win against Florida on Friday.
The No. 7 Gators (16-3) were attempting to come back from down 4-1 to the No. 1 Vols (18-0) in the sixth inning at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. They had already scored two runs on a single, and the bases were loaded with one out.
Landon Stripling sent a chopper up the middle and both Gavin Kilen and Dean Curley flying towards it. Kilen fielded it, tagging second base for the force out. But Stripling slid into the base, and his feet went over it and clipped Kilen as he attempted to make a throw to first for a double play.
The umpire called interference, giving Tennessee the double play. Florida challenged the call, but it was upheld after the review.
"It was a tricky ball," Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said. "Dean and Gavin were both converging on it, and the guys said it was a little more of Gavin's ball, so Dean started to go to the base. But it was just kind of one of those awkward choppers."
The double play got Tennessee out of the top of the sixth inning with a 4-3 lead instead of the game tied up 4-4. In the bottom of the sixth, Kilen gave Tennessee some more buffer with a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing Curley home from third base to go up 5-3.
The interference call proved pivotal in the Vols' first win of SEC play to remain the only undefeated team in the country. The 18-0 start is the best in program history.
The double play happened in the first at-bat after pitcher Nate Snead entered the game with the bases loaded.
"All I saw was, the slide, there's not much leeway there," Vitello said. "I haven't seen a replay or anything, but I just know there's not much leeway at all. So our bench felt like it was either high or – they were all over it, too, to begin with. So, fortunate break for us and unfortunate break for them. But Snead did what he needed to do. Come in and get a ground ball in that situation. At the very least, have the game be tied on our home field. But we got a little added bonus on that deal."
Curley led Tennessee with two runs, going 2-for-4 at the plate, including a triple in the sixth inning.
Junior pitcher Liam Doyle started for Tennessee and threw 105 pitches in 4⅔ innings. He had six strikeouts and two walks. Doyle give up three hits and one run. Snead closed out the game in the final 3⅔ innings with four strikeouts.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball's Tony Vitello on interference call vs Florida
Continue reading...
The No. 7 Gators (16-3) were attempting to come back from down 4-1 to the No. 1 Vols (18-0) in the sixth inning at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. They had already scored two runs on a single, and the bases were loaded with one out.
Landon Stripling sent a chopper up the middle and both Gavin Kilen and Dean Curley flying towards it. Kilen fielded it, tagging second base for the force out. But Stripling slid into the base, and his feet went over it and clipped Kilen as he attempted to make a throw to first for a double play.
The umpire called interference, giving Tennessee the double play. Florida challenged the call, but it was upheld after the review.
"It was a tricky ball," Tennessee coach Tony Vitello said. "Dean and Gavin were both converging on it, and the guys said it was a little more of Gavin's ball, so Dean started to go to the base. But it was just kind of one of those awkward choppers."
The double play got Tennessee out of the top of the sixth inning with a 4-3 lead instead of the game tied up 4-4. In the bottom of the sixth, Kilen gave Tennessee some more buffer with a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing Curley home from third base to go up 5-3.
The interference call proved pivotal in the Vols' first win of SEC play to remain the only undefeated team in the country. The 18-0 start is the best in program history.
The double play happened in the first at-bat after pitcher Nate Snead entered the game with the bases loaded.
"All I saw was, the slide, there's not much leeway there," Vitello said. "I haven't seen a replay or anything, but I just know there's not much leeway at all. So our bench felt like it was either high or – they were all over it, too, to begin with. So, fortunate break for us and unfortunate break for them. But Snead did what he needed to do. Come in and get a ground ball in that situation. At the very least, have the game be tied on our home field. But we got a little added bonus on that deal."
Curley led Tennessee with two runs, going 2-for-4 at the plate, including a triple in the sixth inning.
Junior pitcher Liam Doyle started for Tennessee and threw 105 pitches in 4⅔ innings. He had six strikeouts and two walks. Doyle give up three hits and one run. Snead closed out the game in the final 3⅔ innings with four strikeouts.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball's Tony Vitello on interference call vs Florida
Continue reading...
