OTH Takes: Tennessee Falls Short

Tennessee needed one win to advance to the College World Series. Things looked good for the top-ranked Volunteers for most of Game Three against Notre Dame in the Super Regionals on Sunday. Then, the bottom fell out.

The Vols ended the season on Sunday with a 7-3 loss to Notre Dame in what will be remembered as one of the most disappointing losses in Tennessee athletic’s history.

Here’s what happened:

Chase Burns scorched Notre Dame until getting smacked in the seventh

After giving up a run in the second, Chase Burns got into an incredible groove. Burns retired three consecutive batters in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The fifth may have been the most impressive. Burns retired the side with just seven pitches.

Burns was cruising until the script flipped in the seventh. Burns ended the game with three earned runs, five strikeouts and a walk.. Projected as a first-round selection in the MLB Draft, Burns was exactly what the Vols needed in a low scoring affair before things went awry. His ball placement was off the charts as he embarrassed more than one Notre Dame batter. Then a quick flurry in the seventh changed the entire face of the game.

Burns gave up a ground-rule double in the seventh. That led to some action in Tennessee’s bullpen. However, Tennessee manager Tony Vitello didn’t pull Burns until after Notre Dame’s bats came alive, which happened quickly.

Fighting Irish catcher David LaManna hit a home run to tie the game 3-3. It was just his second home run of the season. Then, third baseman Jack Brannigan hit a home run over left center and Notre Dame suddenly led 4-3.

Burns was pulled for Camden Sewell, who was replaced in the eighth by Kirby Connell. That didn’t go well as Notre Dame’s Carter Putz hit a line drive into the gap in left center that scored two more runs.

Hat Trick to extend the record

Luc Lipsius’ bat didn’t go cold overnight. The first baseman hammered a home run over the right centerfield wall to give the Vols an early 1-0 lead. That’s right where Lipsius left off after a Game Two win on Saturday in which he hit two home runs to help the Vols to a 12-4 win.

The early dinger in Game Three was Lipsius’ 40th home run of his career which reset the Tennessee record that Lipsius already held. Catcher Evan Russell is second on the list with 39 home runs. Former Tennessee slugger Todd Helton held the record until Friday when Lipsius and Russell both passed the former Vol and likely MLB Hall of Famer.

Running wide open, Notre Dame struggled when asked to run…anywhere

Notre Dame continually had issues with field discipline. Two Notre Dame defenders ran into each other in foul territory early in the game, but managed to still reel in the fly out in foul territory. The Fighting Irish also had a runner thrown out at third after Jared Miller decided to try to advance from second following a multitude of errors by the Vols. Notre Dame was also unsure where to throw the ball in the fifth, which allowed Cortland Lawson to score. He could have easily been thrown out at home.

Poor fundamentals continually crept up throughout the series. That ultimately didn’t matter.

History haunts the Vols

Tennessee was a heavy favorite to beat Notre Dame and advance to the College World Series. The Vols likely would have been the favorite in Omaha next week. Tennessee has been the No. 1 team in the nation for weeks. Notre Dame looked like a team that could match Tennessee’s pitching. However, the Vols should have been difference makers at the plate. That only happened in Game Two.

Tennessee isn’t the first highly rated baseball team to falter in the postseason. It has been almost 25 years since the No. 1 team in the nation actually won the national title. It last happened when Miami won the College World Series in 1999. That streak will roll on. As good as Tennessee has been recently, the Vols have struggled over the past two postseasons. The Vols lost on Sunday and lost the first two games in the College World Series last season.