OMAHA, Nebraska — Tennessee won its second game of the College World Series against North Carolina 6-1 on Sunday night at Charles Schwab Field.
The Vols got off to a sharp start and got three quick outs in the top of the first inning. Drew Beam started things off with back-to-back strikeouts. The Vols then got a groundout to end the top of the first.
UT would not score in the first inning, but quickly went to work on defense again in the top of the second inning. The Vols faced three batters and all three were out.
The first out came off an incredible catch by Hunter Ensley in center field where he caught the ball and then crashed into the wall. He held on though and was fired up after the incredible play. Some of hi black paint under his eyes was smudged onto the wall as a result.
The Vols didn’t score in the second inning either, but once again went up against three batters and got them all out one after the other. They forced a pop out in foul territory, a groundout and then Beam picked up another strikeout.
Still scoreless in the top of the fourth inning, Beam pitched 3.2 perfect innings before finally allowing a hit. After letting up that single, he immediately struck out the next batter. It was his second of the inning and his fifth through four innings.
Tennessee got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning on a Blake Burke single. Later on, Dylan Dreiling drew his second walk of the game with one out. With two outs on the board, kavares Tears hit a three run home run to right field to put Tennessee up 3-0, which was his second of the College World Series.
In the top of the fifth inning walked back-to-back batters with one out. He then delivered back-to-back strikeouts to end the half inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Reese Chapman hit a solo home run to put Tennessee up 4-0. In the NCAA Tournament up until that point he was 1 of 15 from the plate with eight strikeouts.
Beam let up his second hit of the game in the sixth inning and it went over the fence. Vance Honeycutt hit a solo home run to trim the Vols' lead to 4-1. The Tar Heels hit back-to-back singles after that. Beam was taken out of the game and Kirby Connell entered.
Tennessee got three outs outs from there not allowing any more damage in the inning.
The Vols built the lead back to four when Dean Curley singled, bringing home Burke. That made the score 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, UT got runners on first and second base. Tears doubled down the right field line to score Amick to make the lead 6-1.
North Carolina has been known to come from behind and win this season but the Vols stifled the Tar Heels in the final innings. In the eighth inning, UT turned a double play and then Curley caught a line drive.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Vols saw a spectacular play from Christian Moore fielding a ball and throwing it off balance for the out at first base. Another instance of UT locking it down defensively.
Tennessee will now face the winner of North Carolina and Florida State on Wednesday. UT needs just one more win to advance to the College World Series Final 27 of the last 33 national champions have started 2-0 in College World Series.
