Tennessee Vols show in one inning why they are so dangerous in series clincher over Florida Gators

The Tennessee Volunteers have been a team that's bashed the ball a long way all season.  That's been their calling card, and hey, why not indeed?  Home runs are king, and the Vols have more than any other Power Five team this season with 122.

However, they put on an absolute show with the bats on Saturday evening in Gainesville to clinch the series over the Florida Gators 16-3.  But it wasn't what Tennessee fans might have expected to see.

Trailing 3-2 heading into the top of the sixth inning and with Gators ace Jac Caglianone on the mound for Florida, Tennessee embarked on an 11-run frame that felt like an eternity.  14 batters came to the plate.

But it wasn't moon shot after moon shot flying over the fence to help Tennessee take control.  To the contrary, actually.

Tennessee worked counts and fouled off two-strike pitches as well as they've done all year.  Kavares Tears led off the inning with a walk on a full count.  Two batters later, Dean Curley brought the Vols even with a single to score Tears, and he did it on a 2-2 count.  The next batter, Hunter Ensley, doubled on a 1-2 count to give Tennessee the lead 5-3.  Blake Burke walked on a full count to make it 6-3.  Billy Amick hit a sacrifice fly to plate another run on a 2-2 count.  Tears struck out on an 0-2 count but made it to first after a wild pitch and a throwing error scored two more runs.  Curley singled yet again with two strikes for a 10-3 lead.

And then, for good measure, Ensley slugged a ball into the bullpen in right field for a three-run homer and a 13-3 lead.  This time it was on an 0-1 count.  Christian Moore and Blake Burke bombs in the seventh would provide the final runs of the game.

Eight straight runs with two strikes in the count to blow the game wide open for the Vols, who claimed their seventh straight series in the process.  That's pretty uncommon, but Tennessee showed a level of patience at the plate that was truly incredible during the sixth inning.

If they can find a way to get that locked in and keep their cool in two-strike counts the rest of the way, then the Vols' chances of having a special season will have increased substantially.

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