Cut To The Chase: Mike Honcho Comes Through Against Auburn

Tennessee Volunteers' RF Jordan Beck smashed a two-run homer in the 8th inning to push the Vols to victory on Sunday.

Welcome to the “Tennessee Thomas” newsletter written by “The Sports Renaissance Man” Chase Thomas. This is a section of the newsletter where I write about the Tennessee Volunteers. Who would have guessed? In my game recaps I follow a “cut to the chase” style with those words highlighted in bold throughout the piece. I do hope that you enjoy it and add your email below so you never miss an issue. This newsletter is delivered to your inbox, not your doorstep, daily. Happy reading.

I also host a very popular daily sports podcast called ‘The Chase Thomas Podcast’ that you should very much subscribe to here.

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Did y’all catch that Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors game last night? If you did, you know why this piece on Tennessee’s series-winning victory against the Auburn Tigers on Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium is coming out a bit late on this hot afternoon here in Knoxville. It’s fair to say the state of Tennessee from Memphis to Knoxville caught the eyes of sports fans everywhere from the diamond to the court. Both games were close throughout, and both games fried the nerves not only for the fans but for the players, too. For the Grizzlies, it ended with Stephen Curry and the Warriors escaping with a Game 1 victory, and for the Vols it ended with a Jordan Beck go-ahead dinger giving the Vols another SEC series victory.

Give credit where credit is due, as the No. 19 Auburn Tigers pushed the Vols like no other SEC team has this season over the course of their three-game series. Each game told a different story. On Friday, the Vols humiliated the Tigers. On Saturday, the Tigers stunned the Vols late. On Sunday, the Vols survived the Tigers late. (Naturally, I was in attendance for the Vols’ lone loss in the series on Saturday night.)

This series was extremely competitive, and the Tigers proved they are going to be a dangerous team the rest of the way. Twenty-four hours after the affair, folks are still talking about the back-and-forth between the two sides. There are differing perspectives on who said what and to who. If you’re an Auburn fan, how the Vols do business probably rubs you the wrong way. If you’re a Tennessee fan, how the Tigers do business probably rubs you the wrong way. There are so many different ways you can attack the day, but spending any time arguing online about the nature or ethos of either team is not in your best interest. Especially if you’re a Volunteer, it does not matter. What matters is the victory and what matters is getting back to the College World Series.

Ryan Schumpert @rschump00

Ben Joyce threw the fastest pitch in college history. Before that, he got out of a massive jam. “I know I have a great defense behind me. I know they’re going to make plays for me back there so it gives you a lot of confidence as a pitcher"

rockytopinsider.comJoyce’s ‘Historic’ Outing Just The Start For The ‘Volunteer Fireman’ | Rocky Top InsiderTennessee’s Ben Joyce had a historic outing in the Vols’ series clinching win over Auburn. It’s just the start for the right-hander.

Let’s cut to the part where Joseph Gonzalez exited the game. I don’t know what happened to the Auburn ace in that first inning, but after giving up three runs, including a two-run dinger from Trey Lipscomb to the top of the Vols’ order, Gonzalez got the train back on track and rolled for what almost ended up being the rest of the dang game. We knew coming in this match-up was going to be all about Drew Beam vs. Gonzalez, and it was the latter that stole the show. For two hours, at least. After that first-inning blip, Gonzalez did not allow a hit until he gave up a single to Drew Gilbert in the bottom of the sixth. He did not give up another run until Jordan Beck had enough in the bottom of the eighth inning. Gonzalez did everything he could to get the Tigers over the hump, but as so many other teams have learned in 2022, you can only expect to get through the meat of the Tennessee batting order so many times before all hell breaks loose.

I can only imagine how tense folks were going into the bottom of the eighth at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. On Saturday night, my feet hurt, my back hurt, and good Lord did my right knee hurt. It was a standing-room-only affair, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. When you’re standing as close to home plate as the Sports Renaissance Woman and myself were, you feel the stress of every other fan around you. It’s one of those things that makes sports games so great to attend in the first place. Sure, that three-run homer by the Tigers in the top of the ninth was deflating as all get out. However, I can only imagine what the inverse was like on Sunday afternoon after that two-run homer by Mike Honcho. I wrote in my notes that I was surprised to see Auburn allow Gonzalez to try and get through the heart of Tennessee’s lineup one more time, but boy am I glad Buck Thompson did. Beck gave all the diehards in that stadium one of the best moments of the season with that blast to left field.