Controversial call sparks Alabama victory as Tennessee loses first SEC Tournament game of 2021

Tennessee had it won. Then it didn’t. Now, the Vols will snap and clear to get ready for Thursday.

HOOVER, Ala. — Tony Vitello made a beeline for the nearest umpire as chaos unfolded around him.

On one side, Tennessee celebrated what first looked to be a walk-off single from Jake Rucker, one that would’ve given the second-seeded Vols their first SEC Tournament win since 2007. Rucker raced around the infield, and his teammates mobbed closer. For Tennessee, the party was on.

Not so for 10-seed Alabama, whose players remained on the field, their arms held wide in confusion about what had occurred.

Ultimately, the issue was settled: when Rucker’s single sent Max Ferguson to second, Ferguson was called for runner interference on his slide into the base.

Bases loaded, winning run on third, and it looked for a moment like Jake Rucker had walked it off.

He was called safe at first on a single, but runner interference has been called at second.

Bama questioning, UT celebrating. Wild scene. Play under review. @mattraySI @VR2onSI pic.twitter.com/9t0sqwq6US

— Jake Nichols (@jnichols_2121) May 26, 2021

This is wild. Umpire calls this interference off the hand touching the fielder.

Tennessee had the crazy win. #SECTourney pic.twitter.com/XZThyNY0rs

— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) May 26, 2021

The call negated what would have been UT’s winning run, and it gave the Crimson Tide a double-play that they parlayed into a 3-2 upset win in extra innings.

“There’s nothing much we can do,” said Luc Lipcius. “The umpire made the call. We’re just going to come out ready to go get them tomorrow.”

Tennessee’s next game will be against Mississippi State on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. Central time. The Vols must win to remain in the tournament.

When asked about his discussion with the umpire as his team celebrated, Vitello didn’t mince words.

“He said (Ferguson) hit (the second baseman) in the nuts,” Vitello said. “I saw Max slide straight into the base. My etiquette isn’t the best, but I was pointing because he was sliding into the base. I didn’t ask Fergie what was going on.”

The Vols’ coach added that he’s “not okay with” the call, but that he’s “not okay with losing, either.”

“This is not an easy jersey to wear, and we take pride in that,” said Vitello, who held a lengthy conversation with his team in right field after the loss. “You show up and you play ball. The scoreboard said we were an inch — or however many inches you want to call it — short.”

“That was a classic, grind-it-out SEC game,” said Tennessee starter Will Heflin, who allowed four hits and notched two strikeouts in his first SEC Tournament appearance on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, we came out on the bottom end, but right now, we’re just looking at the next game.”

Wasted opportunities 

Heflin added that Vitello encourages his team to “flush every game after the last pitch,” while Vitello said his team can either “go be sad about (the loss), or use it as fuel.”

After flushing Wednesday’s result, Tennessee could look to use several wasted opportunities as fuel.

All-SEC selection Liam Spence proved unable to escape his slump with a 1-for-6 effort, and the first four batters in UT’s lineup were a combined 4-for-20. Overall, the Vols went 10-for-44 at the plate with just two RBI.

Moreover, Tennessee left runners stranded on several occasions, and the Vols’ first run didn’t come until the bottom of the seventh inning when Connor Pavolony lined an RBI single into shallow right field to draw Tennessee within a run.

Spence’s lone hit came moments later, as he popped a floater to the shortstop for another RBI single. But that was the most success the Vols found, even in extra innings.

After a phenomenal catch by Evan Russell in the top of the 10th inning, Luc Lipcius hit a hard two-out single before Jordan Beck flied out to end the inning.

Then came Owen Diodati’s RBI single, which gave the Tide a lead they wouldn’t relinquish after a hapless final chance for UT.

‘Blood and guts’

During the at-bat that put Tennessee on the board, UT catcher Connor Pavolony stepped out of the box to tend to his injured hand.

The Vols’ trainer came out to tend to him, but the senior eventually dug back into the dirt before breathing some life into UT’s offense.

That wasn’t Pavolony’s only visit with the trainer, though. He also appeared to suffer a nose bleed later in the game, but pulled his mask down and powered on after stuffing his nose with tissues.

Heflin said Pavolony’s perseverance “embodies this team,” while Vitello took a different approach.

“Blood and guts game,” Vitello said. “Literally. If you bought a ticket, you got your money’s worth.”

Now, Tennessee will try to avoid any more chaos against a Mississippi State team that will be looking for blood, though maybe not literally. The Bulldogs lost 13-1 to Florida on Wednesday, and they were swept by Alabama the weekend before the tournament.

“Anytime you come to the park, you’re liable to see something you’ve never seen before,” said Heflin on Wednesday’s insanity. “Getting that first taste… it was a good experience overall. Now we’re just trying to fight and stay in this thing.”