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Tennessee Pitcher Goes Ballistic After Clutch Strikeout in Elimination Game

You think he was excited?
Dan Gartland|
Tennessee Pitcher Goes Ballistic After Clutch Strikeout in Elimination Game
Tennessee Pitcher Goes Ballistic After Clutch Strikeout in Elimination Game

Tennessee is headed back to the Men’s College World Series for the second time in three years and no one is more excited than Volunteers pitcher Chase Burns. 

Monday night’s game between the Vols and Southern Miss in Hattiesburg was a do-or-die situation for both teams. They had split the previous two games of the best-of-three and the winner of the rubber match would be headed to Omaha. 

With runners on the corners in the top of the seventh and Tennessee holding onto a 4–0 lead, Vols coach Tony Vitello called on sophomore Chase Burns to get the final two outs of the inning. He struck out the first batter he faced, then fanned the second with a fastball that was clocked at 102 mph. (Pretty appropriate for a guy named Burns to have a heater like that, huh?)

The best part, though, was the amazing reaction Burns had after the clutch K to get out of the inning. He screamed all the way back to the dugout and looked like the veins in his neck might burst at any moment. 

After getting the final two outs of the seventh, Burns shut down the Golden Eagles in the eighth and ninth to send them packing. Over 2 2/3 innings pitched, he struck out four with no hits allowed and one walk. Now he’ll get to bring that same energy to Omaha. 

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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

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