Tennessee baseball caught a break when an umpire called interference on a chopper play against Florida, helping the No. 1 Vols maintain their undefeated record.
In Friday’s game, Landon Stripling sent a ball flying towards two fielders, Gavin Kilen and Dean Curley. Kilen tagged second base for a force out, but Stripling slid into the base, accidentally clipping Kilen with his feet. The umpire ruled it interference, giving Tennessee a double play.
This call proved crucial in the Vols’ 5-3 win over Florida. With the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth inning, the No. 7 Gators were trying to tie up the game. However, the double play took away their chance, allowing Tennessee to maintain its 4-1 lead.
Tennessee coach Tony Vitello described the call as a “fortunate break” for his team, saying it was just one of those awkward plays. The Vols went on to win the game behind Curley’s two runs and sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the sixth inning.
The interference call secured Tennessee’s 18-0 start, the best in program history. Junior pitcher Liam Doyle started strong, throwing six strikeouts in four innings before being replaced by Nate Snead. Snead closed out the game with four strikeouts in three-and-three-quarters innings.
Source: https://eu.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/other-sports/2025/03/14/tony-vitello-tennessee-baseball-interference-call-florida/82429320007