2023 NCAA Baseball Tournament: 3 SEC teams win late Saturday in dramatic fashion
Some of the best baseball of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament action was played in the day’s final hours. Tennessee, Texas A&M and Alabama all posted dramatic wins late Saturday night.
Tennessee 6, No. 4 Clemson 5 (14)
Tennessee’s extra-innings win over No. 4 national seed Clemson is an early candidate for best game of the tournament. The Volunteers were down to their last out in the 9th inning, trailing 4-2 before Zane Denton crushed a 3-run home run, his 2nd homer of the game, to put Tennessee up 5-4.
ARE. YOU. SERIOUS⁉️
Down to his last strike and last out, Zane Denton pulls @Vol_Baseball ahead!! ?#RoadToOmaha x ? ESPN2pic.twitter.com/NZn3yj3TuM
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 4, 2023
The Tigers answered in a big way. Cam Cannarella hit a 2-out RBI single to make it 5-5 in the bottom of the 9th.
.@CamCannarella COMES THROUGH!!!!! TIE GAME!!!
B9 || TEN 5, CU 5
? https://t.co/M0tXc65ygr pic.twitter.com/lONKXEtLuo
— Clemson Baseball (@ClemsonBaseball) June 4, 2023
In the bottom of the 10th inning, Clemson loaded the bases with nobody out. A grounder with 1 out initially appeared to plate the winning run. Replay review, however, determined that Tennessee turned an inning-ending double play that kept the run off the board.
WE PLAY ON‼️?@Vol_Baseball
Tennessee completes the double-play to spoil the potential walk-off for Clemson in the 10th! pic.twitter.com/JQZRzjsA0M
— ESPN (@espn) June 4, 2023
It remained 5-5 through the 13th inning. In the top of the 14th inning, Hunter Ensley doubled to right-center field, scoring Maui Ahuna to put UT up 6-5. Tennessee held on for the win to reach the regional final.
THE VOLS RECAPTURE THE LEAD!#RoadToOmaha x ? ESPN+ / @Vol_Baseball pic.twitter.com/t2Jo8vWTAm
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 4, 2023
Texas A&M 8, No. 8 Stanford 4
Out west, Texas A&M was tied 4-4 with No. 8 national seed Stanford in the 8th inning. The Aggies broke through in a big way, scoring 3 runs on a bases-clearing double by Hunter Haas to make it 7-4.
Fightin’ Texas Aggie Baseball ? pic.twitter.com/Pytp0lO5ev
— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) June 4, 2023
Texas A&M added an insurance run in the 9th inning and held off the Cardinal bats for an 8-4 victory over the No. 8 national seed.
Alabama 11, Troy 8
In Tuscaloosa, Troy led No. 16 national seed Alabama 8-7 entering the 9th inning. Though UA is the regional host, the Crimson Tide was the visiting team in the game.
With 2 outs, Alabama rallied in a big way. An error helped Alabama pull ahead 9-8. The Tide would add 2 more insurance runs to make it 11-8, the game’s final score. Hunter Hooper got a 1.2-inning save.
T9 | E6 and that’ll bring in a pair! Tide. In. Front.
9-8 Alabama#RollTide || ? https://t.co/TSVDDxgZTG pic.twitter.com/KsOBMuV9J0
— Alabama Baseball (@AlabamaBSB) June 4, 2023
Earlier Saturday, No. 15 national seed South Carolina defeated NC State 6-3. The Gamecocks jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the 5th inning. NC State scored 3 in the 6th inning, but South Carolina hurlers put up 0s for the final 3 frames.
Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt are in the loser’s bracket as regional hosts. Auburn was eliminated after an 0-2 showing. Arkansas and LSU had games postponed Saturday due to weather.