Ad Disclosure
Zach Root goes off on Tennessee’s Andrew Fischer, social media explodes
Published:
Zach Root pitched a gem for Arkansas on Saturday in Game 1 of its home Super Regional against Tennessee, going 7 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 1 hit with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.
Most importantly, Root’s 92-pitch gem helped Arkansas to a 4-3 victory to move 1 victory away from a trip to the College World Series. But unfortunately for Root and the Hogs, that wasn’t what many will remember about his outing against a bitter SEC rival.
What most who were watching on national TV will remember was Root absolutely going off on Tennessee’s Andrew Fischer after inducing Fischer into a 4-6-3 double play to end the sixth inning and preserve Arkansas’s 3-2 lead. Root didn’t just celebrate the huge double play. He turned toward Fischer, pointed at him, and berated him with some inflammatory language that wasn’t so suitable for a family gathering on a Saturday afternoon.
Naturally, social media had a field day with Root’s offensive display of words and gestures. At the top of that list was Chris Peebles, whose son, Tennessee catcher Cannon Peebles, was suspended for the Super Regional opener after being ejected from last weekend’s regional final victory over Wake Forest.
Here was what Chris Peebles posted:
This is what got Cannon Peebles tossed from his last game:
Meanwhile, these were some of the other reactions on social media from Saturday’s wild display by Root:
If all of that wasn’t enough, keep in mind there will be at least 1 more game between these rivals on Sunday, and if Tennessee can force a Game 3, then they’ll clash again on Monday with a trip to Omaha on the line.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
