Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello has voiced frustrations over the 10-run mercy rule in college baseball, saying that he’s had it with the rule.
This came when he was asked about the Volunteers bouncing back from getting shutout on Sunday against Vanderbilt with a 10-0 win over Belmont during the mid-week.
“The first nine runs were great,” Tony Vitello said. “The last one, I already used my cuss word in my in-game interview on Sunday. So, I won’t do one now but I’d like to. I don’t know. I’ve had it with that. I’ve recommended people to be on the board or when we have our SEC meetings, to be the ones that speak first and all that. I am way down the totem pole and I ain’t trying to be humble, but I’m kind of over this whole deal here [run-rule]. 10 ain’t a lot and I don’t know why that’s the number.”
Tony Vitello was frustrated, in large part, because the game ended early. Tennessee only got to bat for six innings after taking a 10-run lead in the bottom of the sixth and after Belmont failed to respond in the top of the seventh. The Volunteers wanted to get more work in and keep playing.
“Reese Chapman hits a home run and everyone is bummed out,” Vitello said. “That’s not good and doesn’t make sense.”
Still, after that shutout loss on Sunday, bouncing back like that was huge for Tony Vitello and the Volunteers. In particular, with the entire lineup getting good at-bats in despite the abbreviated game.
“But to answer the question and to quit acting like I’m the commissioner of baseball, everybody in the starting lineup except for one guy who had an at-bat they can kind of hang their hat on, which is awesome. No one got a full day, really,” Vitello said.
“Yet, each guy – [Colby] Backus at the back [had] two at-bats. [Christian Moore] kind of salvages the day as a center fielder, right-handed hitting Ken Griffey there. Not very good defensively on that one play but he hits a homer and everyone in between. [Blake] Burke’s last ball, didn’t get a hit but he smoked it. The scoreboard showed some runs and some guys got something again they can kind of hang their hat on going into the weekend.”
Now, Tony Vitello and Tennessee turn their attention to the final regular season SEC series this year. That will start up on Thursday at home against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
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