Missed opportunities doom Vols at College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. (WATE) – The Tennessee baseball team got bounced from the College World Series after an 8-4 loss to No. 2 Texas Tuesday afternoon.

Tennessee got the scoring started when Jordan Beck doubled in Drew Gilbert in the top of the second inning. Beck ended the season with as the team leader this season with 64 RBIs.

Pete DerKay then drove in Luc Lipcius with a fielders choice to first base giving the Vols a 2-0 lead.

Texas left fielder Eric Kennedy responded with a three-run homerun into the Tennessee bullpen and added a run in the third to take a 4-2 lead.

Tennessee had a chance to bust the game open in the third, but with the bases loaded and nobody out, Gilbert hit into a 5-2-3 double play and Evan Russell flew out to right field to end the threat.

In the fourth inning Connor Pavolony singled home Beck to get the Vols within one at 4-3. The next hitter Liam Spence then singled to centerfield sending DerKay home to tie the game at 4-4.

Then the game unraveled for the Vols. Texas scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Tennessee Volunteers assistant coach Ross Kivett was thrown out of the game by third base umpire Mike Morris. Morris came racing down the third-base line to send Kivett packing. Kivett responded by throwing his clipboard on the field.

The Longhorns added a run in the sixth. Kennedy stole second base and advanced to third on a Connor Pavolony throwing error. Kennedy then scored a pitch later on a wild pitch by Redmond Walsh.

Tennessee is still looking for it’s first win at the College World Series since 2001. They finish the season with a 50-18 record.

The attention now turns to head coach Tony Vitello’s contract situation as LSU seems to be interested in poaching Vitello from Knoxville.