Hunter Ensley powers Tennessee baseball past Florida to claim series

What a difference a day can make.

Less than 24 hours after Tennessee missed on opportunities with runners on in a Game 2 loss to Florida, the Vols didn't waste many of those in Game 3 on Saturday.

After falling behind by three runs in the first three innings, Tennessee unloaded in the sixth, plating 11 runs to grab the lead for the first time and hold it there in a 16-3 series-deciding victory in seven innings at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville.

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Hunter Ensley was the offensive catalyst for Tennessee (39-9, 17-7 SEC), going 3-for-4 with a career-high seven RBIs, including the go-ahead double to help kick-start the Vols in the sixth and then the three-run home run that put the exclamation mark on the frame.

Christian Moore and Blake Burke hit consecutive home runs in the seventh and two other Tennessee hitters recorded at least one RBI as the lineup combined for 14 hits.

The Gators (24-23, 10-14) led 3-0 through three innings, but their batters had few answers against Nate Snead. The right-handed relief pitcher allowed just two hits and one run while striking out seven in 5.0 innings of work.

Tennessee

1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B

2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B

3. Billy Amick (R) - 3B

4. Kavares Tears (L) - DH

5. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF

6. Dean Curley (R) - SS

7. Hunter Ensley (R) - CF

8. Colby Backus (R) - RF

9. Cal Stark (R) - C

LHP Zander Sechrist

Florida

1. Cade Kurland (R) - 2B

2. Jac Caglianone (L) - P

3. Ty Evans (R) - RF

4. Colby Shelton (L) - SS

5. Tyler Shelnut (R) - 3B

6. Brody Donay (R) - C

7. Luke Heyman (R) - 1B

8. Hayden Yost (L) - LF

9. Jaylen Guy (R) - CF

LHP Jac Caglianone

For the second time in as many games, Florida jumped out to an early lead, plating two runs on Ty Evans' one-out home run to left field that put the Gators up 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning.

Dylan Dreiling led off the second with a single to center, but Dean Curley grounded into a double play in the next at-bat and another ground out ended the frame to leave Tennessee empty-handed for the second-straight inning.

Zander Sechrist settled in on the mound in the second, tossing a quick 1-2-3 frame, but the Vols couldn't take advantage of Christian Moore in scoring position in the second.

Nate Snead was the first out of the bullpen to pitch in place of Sechrist in the third and retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a Jac Caglianone single.

Tennessee looked like it was about to get out of the inning when Evans hit a routine ground ball to Billy Amick at third, but his throw to first went high and Caglianone scored to stretch the Florida lead to 3-0.

A second error, this one Blake Burke who couldn't corral a ball at first gave the Gators another base runner but a pop up to Moore limited the damage there.

Amick led off the fourth with a single and Curley worked a two-out walk to get a pair of runners on for Hunter Ensley, who hit a 3-2 pitch off the wall in left to score two runs and get Tennessee on the board at 3-2.

After Snead tossed a couple of scoreless frames, the Vols' quickly got runners into scoring position in the sixth with a Kavares Tears walk and Dreiling double down the line in right.

Florida went to the bullpen, replacing Caglianone with right-hander Ryan Slater, but the pitching change did little to quell the Vols' bats. Curley singled to center to score Tears and draw even at 3-3 with no outs.

Ensley, who provided Tennessee with its first score in the fourth, came through again with another double into left that plated two more runs and put the Vols in front for the first time at 5-3.

Florida made a few more calls to the bullpen but it hardly mattered. Tennessee piled on in the frame, scoring runs on a bases-loaded walk, a Florida throwing error and Curley RBI single.

Ensley capped the scoring with a three-run opposite field homer to left that gave the Vols a convincing 13-3 advantage before the Gators were able to get out of the inning with three pitchers combining for 74 pitches.

Moore added some run-rule insurance in the seventh, following up a Cal Stark single with a two-run homer and Burke added another longball to go up 16-3.

1. Hunter Ensley gets Tennessee on the board with two-RBI double to left field in the fourth inning.

2. Ensley gives Tennessee the lead for the first time with his second two-RBI double in the sixth.

3. Ensley homers to right to add three more runs to Tennessee's commanding lead.

Tennessee will have a brief stay in Knoxville this week before returning to the road next weekend.

The Vols play host to Queens College on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Tennessee will head to Nashville three days later for the first of three against Vanderbilt on Friday at Hawkins Field at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.

The Commodores are coming off of a series loss at Georgia this weekend.

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