CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (TVC) – The Greatest Show on Dirt returns, and in heartbreaking fashion for the Volunteers.
No. 2 Tennessee (38-21) faced off against the No.3 East Carolina (37-22-1) in the opening game of the Chapel Hill Regional Friday. But in a sea of purple and gold that covered Boshamer Stadium, the Pirates outfought the Volunteers, 7-3, through 14 innings.
“We have to execute a little bit better,” Vols head coach Josh Elander said. “I thought the compete was great. I told them to get off their feet and reset.”
Left-handed pitcher Evan Blanco (7-4) started on the mound for the Volunteers. Despite his previous three starts yielding three-run first innings, Elander went with the seasoned veteran.
The senior threw 97 pitches through seven innings (his second-most this season) and held a 4.65 ERA. Blanco also gave up one earned run on seven hits.
“I use that experience to my advantage,” said Blanco. “I think my stuff was decent today. Definitely played, and the guys behind me made some good plays behind me as well.”
In Division 1 Baseball, the Chapel Hill regional ranks the highest in both strikeout percentage and ERA, both present against the Volunteers to start. The offense went nine-up, nine-down through the first three frames at the hand of pitcher Ryan Towers, who sported a 2.98 ERA and 2 strikeouts.
The Vols broke through in the bottom of the fourth with Blake Grimmer. A 383-foot bomb over the right-field wall tallies the redshirt junior’s fourth home run of the season, the team’s first hit and score of the tournament.
That lead vanished as the Pirates fired back with a run of their own in the fifth inning. A missed grab off the right-field wall from Reese Chapman and an RBI line drive up the center tied the game at one apiece.
As neither team budged through another scoreless three innings, the Volunteers relieved Evan Blanco with pitcher Brandon Arvidson.
On the first pitch of the ninth, ECU’s Davin Whitaker sent a cannonball soaring high and far over the right-field wall to claim the Pirates first lead of the day, 2-1. It was a blow that looked to be the dagger in this competition.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and on a 2-1 count, Volunteer Henry Ford sent a no-doubter, 388 feet, into deep left field to tie the game at two. That was the junior transfer’s 51st run of the season.
The two teams battled back-and-forth for five extra innings, each trading blows of their own. But, in the end, someone has to win.
In the top of the 14th, ECU’s Walker Barron sends a solo home run soaring 410 feet into left field. The Volunteers would give up three more runs in the frame, and ultimately fall to the Pirates, 7-3.
“We gotta find a way from the loser’s bracket,” Elander said. “It’s been done before, and as long as you get another chance to play another game you gotta chance.”
The Volunteers will return to Boshamer Stadium Saturday at 12:00 p.m. to play Virginia Commonwealth University. The Vols hope to avoid elimination from the NCAA Division 1 baseball championship.
