Tony Vitello gives kudos to Tennessee Vols fans on Friday night in the most football way possible
The Tennessee Vols are one win away from their fourth straight super regional appearance. Tennessee dispatched with Indiana on Friday night 12-6 at Lindsey Nelson stadium in a game that took over four hours long. Despite the seemingly never-ending nature of the game, the Tennessee crowd managed to bring an energy level that helped the […]
The Tennessee Vols are one win away from their fourth straight super regional appearance. Tennessee dispatched with Indiana on Friday night 12-6 at Lindsey Nelson stadium in a game that took over four hours long.
Despite the seemingly never-ending nature of the game, the Tennessee crowd managed to bring an energy level that helped the Vols soar to an early big lead that they'd hold throughout the contest.
When asked about the environment and whether it was a hornet's nest in the first couple of innings, Vitello made a reference to how Vol fans affect the games across the street over at Neyland Stadium.
"I think so, but I think we've had it," Vitello said. "It's just – it's weird around here. Good baseball guy here is watching the regional, and the stadium has changed every time he's been here, and it's like, well, it changes every time for us, too. So, it's always kind of been what you're describing, but it just takes on different feels to it with the second deck of the porch, third deck of the porch.
"And then it felt like I was a football coach for a minute with the offensive – you know, the quarterback couldn't hear the play coming in there. This technology we use is whatever, but you know, it was pretty cool, the crowd interfering with the pitch com, and then getting excited. And then certainly kind of putting pressure on the pitcher. Again, [Connor] Foley's got literally big-league stuff, and our guys made it tough on him, but I think they got kind of a John Stockton assist there from the crowd."
The crowd inside Lindsey Nelson Stadium was rocking from the first pitch, and the Vols fed off of that for an early and very big advantage. Dean Curley and Christian Moore hit no doubt home runs over the wall in left and right center field, respectively, for a 4-0 lead in the second inning.
The Vols then managed to blow the doors clean off in the third inning. They posted five runs to take complete control at 9-0. The big blow came from third baseman Billy Amick, who clubbed a grand slam to blow it wide open.
And it all happened as Tennessee fans roared and created an intimidating environment for Indiana ace Connor Foley, who was charged with 8 earned runs and didn't make it out of that third inning.
With a trip to the super regionals on the line on Sunday, Tennessee fans have a chance to make a difference again against either Southern Miss or those same Hoosiers, who play at noon on Sunday for the right to face the Vols again.
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