The Tennessee Volunteers and East Carolina kicked off the Chapel Hill Regional today. Tennessee had lefty Evan Blanco take the ball, bringing in a 7-4 record with a 4.94 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and 97 strikeouts in 82 innings. The Pirates had a southpaw of their own in Ryan Towers on the mound. He brought in a 7-3 record with a 3.04 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. Tennessee entered the game 38-20 while East Carolina was 36-22-1. Tennessee saw its SEC tournament end in an 8-4 loss to Arkansas in the second round. East Carolina won the American Conference tournament.
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Tennessee vs. East Carolina
The game this afternoon was a pitcher’s duel. Tennessee struck first in the bottom of the fourth. Blake Grimmer hit a solo home run to make it 1-0. The Pirates got to Blanco in the top of the fifth as Nick Parham singled home a run to tie it at 1-1. In the top of the sixth, the Pirates almost had their first lead of the game, but the runner was thrown out at home. East Carolina would challenge it, but call on the field stood and it remained 1-1. In the top of the ninth, the Pirates took the lead with a solo home run from Davin Whitaker, making it 2-1. Tennessee, in the bottom of the ninth, down to their final out, would tie it up with a solo home run from Henry Ford.
Tennessee had a chance in the 12th, but the Pirates got out of the jam. In the 13th, Colby Wallace drove home a run on a sacrifice bunt. Grimmer tied it up in the 13th on an RBI single. In the 14th, the Pirates exploded for four runs. Walker Barron hit a solo home run, then got an RBI single and a two-RBI double. East Carolina shut down the Vols in the bottoms half to win.
Blanco went seven innings, allowing a run on seven hits. He didn’t issue a walk and struck out four. Towers went four innings, allowing a run on three hits. He walked one and struck out two. The Pirates went to their ace Ethan Norby in the seventh, and he went 4.2 innings, allowing a run on two hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out eight.
Next Up
Tennessee will now face UNC/VCU in the loser’s bracket and can be eliminated with a loss. East Carolina will face the winner of that game.
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