Why Josh Elander put on squeeze play with Manny Marin in Tennessee baseball vs ECU

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Josh Elander called timeout in the 12th inning Friday.

The Tennessee baseball coach huddled together with his assistant coaches and a trio of sophomores to formulate a plan.

Manny Marin was coming to the plate with Chris Newstrom at third base and Levi Clark on second in a tie game against East Carolina in the Chapel Hill Regional. Elander and associate head coach Chuck Jeroloman patted Marin on the back, sending him to the plate with a chance to win the game.

Marin fouled off the first pitch, then fouled off a safety squeeze attempt with the aim of scoring Newstrom and winning the game.

“We wanted to give Manny a chance to get it done right there,” Elander said. “Then I think very simply: It is an indefensible play if you execute it right there. We were unable to do so.”

Marin struck out on the next pitch in one of the missed opportunities for the No. 2 seed Vols in their 7-3 loss in 14 innings to No. 3 seed East Carolina.

The Vols were in position to win in the 12th after Trent Grindlinger singled to right and Clark singled to left. Newstrom came in to run for Grindlinger after his single.

Reese Chapman bunted the pair into scoring position for the first out, which brought up Marin. The Pirates turned to reliever Brett Antolick to face Marin.

Elander gave Marin the first pitch to swing away. He fouled it off to the third-base side, where it barely reached the seats. Marin poked at a splitter away from Antolick on the safety squeeze attempt and nudged the ball foul.

“Once you are right there, you have to have a chance to it done,” Elander said. “Credit to their guys for attacking the strike zone right there.”

Nate Eisfelder grounded out to first to end the inning as the Vols left Newstrom and Clark in scoring position, sending the game onward.

The Pirates executed a suicide squeeze in the top of the 13th to take a 3-2 lead.

“That was one of many plays that could have changed the game,” Elander said of Marin’s bunt attempt. “There was infield in and there were other options. They have a play where we have a chance to flip a ball to the plate and just need to execute better. It doesn’t come down to just one play.”

UT tied it in the bottom of the inning on a Blake Grimmer single, UT’s first hit with runners in scoring position after starting 0-for-9. Tennessee got two runners on with one out in the 11th, but left both on base.

ECU scored four in the 14th to win and send the Vols to the loser’s bracket where they will face either No. 1 seed UNC or No. 4 seed VCU on Saturday.

“They were a little bit better about executing than we were today and that was the difference,” Elander said.