Tony Vitello reveals what led to benches clearing at end of series between Tennessee-Vanderbilt

Things got testy postgame between Tennessee and Vanderbilt on Sunday as the teams were unable to go through the handshake with words exchanged after the Commodores won the rubber match on Rocky Top. Both coaches, though, have since de-escalated what happened as nothing more than jawing after a well-played series.

Tony Vitello addressed the postgame matter with the media after the Volunteers lost 7-5 to Vandy on Sunday. He said it was nothing more than territorial between the two teams as the Commodores celebrated while the Vols didn’t care for it happening on their diamond. Still, that’s what comes from an in-state series in conference play between two highly ranked opponents.

“Yeah, it was overrated,” said Vitello. “I mean, their guys are looking into our dugout, you know, as they high-five. But it was a feisty day all along so, are you going to blame them? And then, you know, Hunter Ensley, that’s Hunter Ensley’s field out there. So I think he was the first – I don’t know who was the first one. I don’t want to say that. But, you know, if you’re on their side, you yell poor loser. And, if you’re on our side, you yell, you know, don’t do that on our field or you’re a poor winner.”

“So, it’s blown out of proportion,” Vitello said. “If anything, people that were watching for the first part (before the weather delay) and then, I don’t know if the second part was televised, saw a Super Regional-type game or a playoff-type atmosphere on the field. And they, again, made more plays than we did.”

Tennessee and Vanderbilt split the first two games with a 3-2 for the Volunteers on Friday and a 10-6 win for the Commodores on Saturday. That made the third game an important one for the two teams with conference and national seeding on the line for both during the second-to-last weekend of the regular season. That then made it even worse for the Volunteers considering how the game ended as Vandy stranded three runners, who could’ve tied or won the game, with the bases loaded to get out of the series with the deciding win.

You can only blame either side so much considering the emotions out of each dugout. Still, it was nothing more than that per Vitello as well as Tim Corbin on the opposing side.

Corbin addresses heated end of series between Vanderbilt, Tennessee

A testy series between Tennessee and Vanderbilt took a turn, nearly turning sour at the conclusion of a 7-5 win for the Commodores on Sunday. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed in Knoxville.

After the Commodores came out to celebrate on the field, the Volunteers took exception as there was nearly a big dust-up. Tim Corbin addressed the situation, though, in downplaying its significance.

“I don’t know. I didn’t know what happened really until I was in the middle of it,” Corbin told reporters. “But it was just, it’s two emotional teams. That’s all. Played hard. Boys will be boys. That’s really all it is.”

Corbin was talking with Tony Vitello in the midst of it all. He once again tamped things down as far as their conversation.

“I talked to Tony throughout the series,” Corbin said. “Very cordial and appreciate that. Yeah. I mean, you know, both teams going at one another, you see it. It’s a tough conference.”