South Carolina evened up the weekend series with a tight, 3-2, win in a pitcher's duel.
Tennessee 2 7 0
South Carolina 3 5 0
W — Brett Kerry, L — Camden Sewell, S — Julian Bosnic
Notes
The Vols didn’t play poorly on Friday night in Columbia but struggled to get the bats going and one swing of the bat from Brady Allen was enough to pull South Carolina ahead and clinch the lead.
Tennessee got to Brett Kerry a bit early, with Luc Lipcius homering and back-to-back singles from Pete Derkay and Connor Pavolony scoring a run. Overall though, Kerry was fantastic allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out eight in seven innings. Tennessee had its chance to get to him and even the game— or take the lead— in the eighth inning when back-to-back singles gave the Vols runners on second and third with one out. Kerry came through in a big way, getting a pair of pop outs to get out of the jam.
Camden Sewell gave up the go-ahead home run on the third pitch he threw but was excellent after that. The junior retired the next nine batters he faced and allowed just two baserunners while striking out five in 3.1 innings.
Pete Derkay and Connor Pavolony continue to provide strong at-bats at the bottom of Tennessee’s order. Derkay went 2-for-3 at the plate tonight, doubling off the wall in left center to set up UT’s first run. Pavolony was 1-for-3 with a walk and since returning from injury the Vols’ backstop is 6-for-13 with three walks.
Credit South Carolina’s pitching staff for making Tennessee work all night. The Gamecocks’ surrendered no walks and Kerry was consistently ahead in the count.
Series rubber match set for 12 p.m. ET tomorrow on SEC Network. Blade Tidwell will get the ball for Tennessee while Thomas Farr will pitch for South Carolina.
Quotes
Tony Vitello on his decision to go to Camden in the fifth inning and the go ahead home run
“They didn’t exactly get to Hef(lin). He was throwing the ball great for us, wiggled out of a couple jams and obviously we’re going through the lineup a third time and we liked the matchup of Camden and Allen but he kind of babied the slider in there— just to say it as is and then rolled through the rest of the night for the most part. You go with your gut and sometimes it doesn’t work out, sometimes it does. It didn’t in that occasion but the kid’s been outstanding for us and he kept us in the game, a game in which we could have tied it or something special happens— which has happened a lot with our group— we actually win the thing.”
Vitello on what he saw from Will Heflin
“I was surprised. He was kind of around the zone but wasn’t in the zone at the start. Obviously you walk the leadoff guy but he was super composed as he always is and wiggled out of a couple jams. I thought he threw the ball well. You can always pick things apart but, you know, same thing as a coach it isn’t very fun to go to bed at night wondering what if we went to someone else or maybe you just leave Hef in and he does the thing. He’s earned the right to continue to start for us and if he’s antsy to get back out there his next few starts are going to be very important.”
Vitello on what made Brett Kerry so effective
“Well the stuff but he’s also different. I don’t mean to speak for their coaching staff but I’ve seen his interviews, you watch his presence on the mound, you look at his statistics— he’s a different kid. He has the skill set but also the mindset. On top of it if you’re going to go just results we chased up a few times. He located really well. I never really saw the breaking ball as good as it was tonight on video— that doesn’t mean he’s not capable and maybe I didn’t see the right games but his offspeed was really good. Our hitters were commenting on that in the dugout.”
Tennessee 2 7 0
South Carolina 3 5 0
W — Brett Kerry, L — Camden Sewell, S — Julian Bosnic
Notes
The Vols didn’t play poorly on Friday night in Columbia but struggled to get the bats going and one swing of the bat from Brady Allen was enough to pull South Carolina ahead and clinch the lead.
Tennessee got to Brett Kerry a bit early, with Luc Lipcius homering and back-to-back singles from Pete Derkay and Connor Pavolony scoring a run. Overall though, Kerry was fantastic allowing seven hits and two runs while striking out eight in seven innings. Tennessee had its chance to get to him and even the game— or take the lead— in the eighth inning when back-to-back singles gave the Vols runners on second and third with one out. Kerry came through in a big way, getting a pair of pop outs to get out of the jam.
Camden Sewell gave up the go-ahead home run on the third pitch he threw but was excellent after that. The junior retired the next nine batters he faced and allowed just two baserunners while striking out five in 3.1 innings.
Pete Derkay and Connor Pavolony continue to provide strong at-bats at the bottom of Tennessee’s order. Derkay went 2-for-3 at the plate tonight, doubling off the wall in left center to set up UT’s first run. Pavolony was 1-for-3 with a walk and since returning from injury the Vols’ backstop is 6-for-13 with three walks.
Credit South Carolina’s pitching staff for making Tennessee work all night. The Gamecocks’ surrendered no walks and Kerry was consistently ahead in the count.
Series rubber match set for 12 p.m. ET tomorrow on SEC Network. Blade Tidwell will get the ball for Tennessee while Thomas Farr will pitch for South Carolina.
Quotes
Tony Vitello on his decision to go to Camden in the fifth inning and the go ahead home run
“They didn’t exactly get to Hef(lin). He was throwing the ball great for us, wiggled out of a couple jams and obviously we’re going through the lineup a third time and we liked the matchup of Camden and Allen but he kind of babied the slider in there— just to say it as is and then rolled through the rest of the night for the most part. You go with your gut and sometimes it doesn’t work out, sometimes it does. It didn’t in that occasion but the kid’s been outstanding for us and he kept us in the game, a game in which we could have tied it or something special happens— which has happened a lot with our group— we actually win the thing.”
Vitello on what he saw from Will Heflin
“I was surprised. He was kind of around the zone but wasn’t in the zone at the start. Obviously you walk the leadoff guy but he was super composed as he always is and wiggled out of a couple jams. I thought he threw the ball well. You can always pick things apart but, you know, same thing as a coach it isn’t very fun to go to bed at night wondering what if we went to someone else or maybe you just leave Hef in and he does the thing. He’s earned the right to continue to start for us and if he’s antsy to get back out there his next few starts are going to be very important.”
Vitello on what made Brett Kerry so effective
“Well the stuff but he’s also different. I don’t mean to speak for their coaching staff but I’ve seen his interviews, you watch his presence on the mound, you look at his statistics— he’s a different kid. He has the skill set but also the mindset. On top of it if you’re going to go just results we chased up a few times. He located really well. I never really saw the breaking ball as good as it was tonight on video— that doesn’t mean he’s not capable and maybe I didn’t see the right games but his offspeed was really good. Our hitters were commenting on that in the dugout.”
