The Tennessee Vols defeated Evansville 11-6 in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament Super Regional on Friday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. But it wasn't the quick knockout that might have been expected from the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed.

That came in the seventh inning when Hunter Ensley hit a three-run homer, which made him the seventh Vol to reach double figures in home runs this season.

The final score didn’t look much different from UT’s three runaway victories a week earlier at the same stadium. The Vols went 3-0 and outscored their opponents by a combined 33-12 in breezing to the Super Regional.

Evansville wasn't as accommodating as Northern Kentucky, Indiana and Southern Mississippi. Although it didn’t win, it showed why it won the Greenville Regional, where it upset higher-seeded East Carolina and Wake Forest.

The Purple Aces didn’t have another upset in them in the Super Regional opener. But there was a middle-of-the game comeback that might have unsettled any UT fans who remember the last time the Vols hosted a Super Regional as a No. 1 seed.

Notre Dame won two of three games to advance to the College World Series in 2022. The Vols finished the season 57-9 but ended up short of the CWS and an opportunity for their first national championship in school history.

Nothing that happened in the first four innings would have reminded UT fans of that epic disappointment. The Vols had taken a 5-2 lead with a long-ball display that was above average even for a team that already holds the program’s single-season home run record.

First, Blake Burke hit a home run that struck the stadium scoreboard. Next, Christian Moore hit one that sailed over the scoreboard. And then Billy Amick knocked a homer off a light pole. UT’s power demonstration produced a 5-2 lead.

By then, there seemed to be a greater chance of an Evansville player straining his neck following the course of a Tennessee home run than there was of the Purple Aces delivering an upset.

However, a veteran team that includes five graduate students and six seniors remained competitive. They bounced back with three runs in the fifth inning to tie the game.

Evansville didn’t have a monopoly on resilience, though. No sooner than the Vols lost the lead, they regained it with two runs in their fifth at-bat.

But Evansville still couldn’t take a hint. It ignored UT’s track record at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, where the Vols are 153-24 since the start of the 2020 season, and opened the ninth inning by putting four consecutive runners on base.

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They also forced Tennessee coach Tony Vitello to bring in his third relief pitcher, Aaron Combs. He took care of business as the Vols won their fourth consecutive game in the tournament.

The nature of Tennessee’s victory was noteworthy. After roaring through the NCAA regional, it might have been shaken by Evansville’s resistance. Instead, its composure in a game that was tied halfway through was almost as impressive as its home run barrage.

Maybe Game 2 on Saturday will prove less suspenseful. But don’t bet on it.

The Purple Aces don’t know when to quit.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball trumps Evansville Aces with super regional homers