Hunter Ensley lifts Vols past Clemson in extra innings thriller
CLEMSON, SC— The Clemson dugout emptied onto the field.
The sold out home crowd at Doug Kingsmore Stadium stood to its feet another time, unfazed by the three-plus hour roller coaster it had been on but relieved.
Benjamin Blackwell had seemingly walked it off, beating out Christian Moore's throw and the double play to bring the winning run across, but given the theater that both Tennessee and Clemson had displayed over the last three innings to that point, it came down to a review.
Moore's throw to Ethan Payne at first base was in fact in time. Tennessee turned the double play after Clemson had previously loaded the bases with no outs and lived to fight another inning.
It took another four innings, but there was no doubt about Hunter Ensley's double to the gap in right-center to plate the go ahead score from Maui Ahuna in the top of the 14th inning. Right-handed reliever Seth Halvorsen slammed the door to give the 2-seed Vols a equally exhausting and exhilarating 6-5 win that puts them within one game of super regionals.
Two hours earlier, it didn't look that way.
Clemson, which scored four runs in the fifth to take the lead, was one strike away from being that spot. Instead, Zane Denton mashed a three-run shot over the wall in left to give Tennessee (40-19) the lead back at 5-4.
The Tigers (44-18) answered to even the score and force extra innings, leading to a number of close calls and near misses before Ensley's go-ahead RBI.
Tennessee overcame a stellar pitching performance from Clemson left-handed starter Caden Grice, who gave up just three hits, a run and struck out 10 in 8.2 innings and had two impressive outings from its own relievers.
After giving up a run in the fifth, Chase Burns went 6.1 innings, recorded eight strike outs and gave the Vols a chance. Halvorsen closed it out in the final 2.2 innings.
Denton paced Tennessee at the plate, going 2-for-4 with four RBI. He hit a solo home run in the seventh.
Moore went 3-of-5 with an RBI.
Clemson and Charlotte will play in an elimination game on Sunday at noon ET with Tennessee playing the winner at 6 p.m. ET. A Vols win will send them to supers for the third-straight season.
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