Hunter Ensley’s double in the 14th inning drove in the decisive run, leading the 9th-ranked Tennessee team to a 6-5 win over the 3rd-ranked Clemson team in the Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Saturday evening. With this victory, the Volunteers advanced to a 2-0 record in the regional and improved their overall season record to 40-19. Meanwhile, the Tigers, now 1-1 in the regional and snapping a 17-game winning streak, suffered a defeat, and their season record dropped to 44-18.
Christian Moore smacked a solo home run during the fourth inning, propelling excitement among the crowd. However, the game took a thrilling turn in the fifth inning when Clemson’s Cam Cannaralla unleashed a huge three-run homer, marking his seventh of the season. The momentum continued as Caden Grice, just three batters later, delivered a run-scoring double, further extending his impressive hitting streak to ten consecutive games. As the game progressed into the seventh inning, Denton launched a solo homer, electrifying the Volunteer fans. With two outs in the ninth inning, Denton hit a three-run homer, his second of the game, propelling Tennessee into a 5-4 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Cannaralla showed why he is the ACC Freshman of the Year by smashing a two-out double, resulting in a tying run for Clemson. Tennessee managed to escape a challenging situation in the tenth inning, where the bases were loaded with no outs, escaping without conceding a single run. The game intensified as Clemson mirrored their opponents’ achievement by escaping a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the thirteenth inning. The fourteenth inning proved to be decisive when Maui Ahuna, in an impressive display of discipline, drew a one-out walk and subsequently scored on Ensley’s powerful double to right-center.
Seth Halvorsen (3-3) emerged as the victorious pitcher for the Volunteers. On the other hand, Casey Talley (1-1) endured the unfortunate loss in this super competitive game. Notably, Grice exhibited his skills by pitching 8.2 innings as the starter, allowing a total of six hits, four runs, and only one walk while striking out ten opponents.
Looking ahead, the Tigers will face off against Charlotte on Sunday at noon in an elimination game. As the designated visiting team, Clemson seeks to reestablish their momentum and secure the victory in this crucial matchup.
