Tennessee centerfielder Hunter Ensley had a web gem early in the Vols’ second College World Series game on Sunday night.
During a scoreless game in the top of the second inning, North Carolina’s Alex Madera launched a ball into deep center field off of Drew Beam. Ensley dropped back like a safety in coverage, tracking the ball as he ran backward toward the warning track.
Ensley never took his eye off the ball, catching the deep fly as he crashed into the center field wall near the painted 408 sign. Ensley’s eye-black was smeared on the green outfield wall as evidence of his face-planting meeting.
Adrenaline pumping from the catch, Ensley quickly got up and pounded his chest back to the field as he flexed toward his team.
UNREAL CATCH BY HUNTER ENSLEY 😱 pic.twitter.com/8oE3eNNO3V
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 16, 2024
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Ensley took the plate in the bottom of the second inning but lined out to third base on two pitches, not entirely looking like himself. He then stuck out in the fourth inning.
The Tennessee centerfielder was replaced by Colby Backus in the fifth inning.
“He was just wobbly and also banged his leg into the wall,” Vols head coach Tony Vitello said during an in-game TV interview. “He said he didn’t really realize it until the very next ball was hit to him, and then I guess after the adrenaline calmed down, kinda realized — again he was kinda wobbly so better safe than sorry we feel.”
Tennessee and North Carolina traded scoreless innings until a three-run Kavares Tears home run in the fourth inning broke open the lead for the Vols. Tennessee DH Reese Chapman then launched a massive solo bomb to right field to extend the Vols’ lead to 4-0.
Tennessee (1-0) currently leads North Carolina (1-0) by a score of 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
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