Hunter Ensley Leads Vols To Thumping Of Gators (UT Athletics)
No. 3/3 Tennessee exploded for 11 runs in the sixth inning to blow open a close game and secure its seventh straight SEC series win, toppling Florida 16-3 in seven innings on Saturday night at Condron Family Ballpark.
With the win, the Volunteers also recorded their fourth consecutive series win in Gainesville, something that has never been done before in program history.
Hunter Ensley led the way in UT's offensive outburst with three run-producing hits, finishing with a pair of two-run doubles and a three-run homer for a career-high seven RBIs.
Ensley's career night started with a big two-out double in the top of the fourth to plate two runs and get the Big Orange on the board, cutting their deficit to one.
The redshirt junior center fielder fouled off three straight 3-2 pitches before roping the ninth pitch of the at-bat off the base of the wall in left field to score
Billy Amick and
Dean Curley.
Tennessee built off that momentum and took control of the game with its 11-run sixth inning. The Vols got back-to-back RBI hits from Curley and Ensley after a walk from
Kavares Tears and a
Dylan Dreiling double put runners on second and third with no outs.
After five more runs had already crossed the plate, Ensley provided the exclamation point on the inning with a three-run home to right field to give UT a 13-3 lead.
Christian Moore and
Blake Burke hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the seventh to provide a little more insurance for the run-rule win. Moore had another productive game at the dish with three hits, two runs and two RBIs.
Curley also had a really solid night with two RBI knocks and a team-leading three runs scored.
Nate Snead was dominant on the mount, striking out a career-high seven batters while allowing just one unearned run on two hits in five innings of relief to pick up the win and improve to 8-1 on the year.
The Gators jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on a Ty Evans two-run home run in the bottom of the first and extended their advantage to 3-0 by scoring on a throwing error in the third, but it was all Vols from that point forward, as Tennessee scored 16 unanswered runs.
STATS OF THE GAME: The Vols posted their fifth run-rule win during SEC play this season, including their third on the road, with Saturday's victory.
UT's 11-run sixth inning was tied for its most runs scored in an inning this season, matching the 11 it scored in the third inning of a 16-0 victory over ETSU on Feb. 21.
UP NEXT: The Vols return home to take on Queens on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. before hitting the road once again for a weekend series in Nashville against Vanderbilt.