Dylan Dreiling's home run keeps Vols' title hopes alive against Texas A&M

OMAHA, Neb. — It felt like a matter of time.

Even as Tennessee continued to squander base runners midway through its College World Series elimination Game 2 against Texas A&M on Sunday, it was hard to fathom that the 1-seed Vols wouldn't come up with a timely hit for the second-straight game.

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Who else but Dylan Dreiling to come through?

With Tennessee's season and national championship hopes hanging by a thread in the seventh inning, Dreiling put the Vols in front on a two-home run, a hit that proved to be the difference in a 4-1 victory at Charles Schwab Field, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3 for the title.

Dreiling not only flipped momentum, he ended six innings of frustration. It was the first hit of the game with runners on base. Tennessee (59-13) was previously 0-for-16.

Pitching was equally clutch.

Right-handed starter Drew Beam was dominant, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out seven in 4.0 innings of work. Reliever Aaron Combs kept the Vols within striking distance.

Combs threw strikeouts and got out of jams, preventing Texas A&M (53-14) from widening the gap and buying time for the offense to come to life. Now Tennessee will play for its first national title.

Tennessee

1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B

2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B

3. Billy Amick (R) - 3B

4. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF

5. Hunter Ensley (R) - CF

6. Kavares Tears (L) - RF

7. Dean Curley (R) - SS

8. Cannon Peebles (B) - DH

9. Cal Stark (R) - C

RHP Drew Beam (9-2, 4.30 ERA)

Texas A&M

1. Gavin Grahovac (R) - 3B

2. Jace LaViolette (L) - RF

3. Jackson Appel (B) - C

4. Hayden Schott (L) - DH

5. Ted Burton (R) - 1B

6. Caden Sorrell (L) - LF

7. Ali Camarillo (R) - SS

8. Kaeden Kent (L) - 2B

9. Travis Chestnut (R) - CF

RHP Zane Badmave

After going 0-for-5 in Game 1, Christian Moore led off the first inning with a single up the middle and moved into scoring position after swiping second.

A line out and two strikeouts from Texas A&M starter Zane Badmave, who was making just his second career start left Tennessee with nothing to show for it.

Jace LaViolette hit a no-doubter into right field with one out in the bottom half to put the Aggies ahead first for the second-straight game, but Drew Beam got the Vols out of the inning with just the one run given up.

Tennessee posted more runners in the second, starting with a Hunter Ensley single that led to a Texas A&M pitching change. Reliever Chris Cortez responded with two outs, but a Cannon Peebles walk and a throwing error allowed Cal Stark to reach and load the bases for Moore.

Moore was unable to take advantage of the situation, grounding out at second to leave the Vols empty-handed with runners on for a second time.

As many missed opportunities as Tennessee had, Beam was causing frustration for Texas A&M's offense, too. He gave up his second hit in the third on a lead off single from Kaeden Kent but picked him off at first, then tossed his seventh strikeout to end the inning.

Tennessee loaded the bases again in the fourth with two outs to bring up Blake Burke, but he harmlessly made contact on a grounder to second that kept the Vols scoreless through four.

Texas A&M started to get to Beam in the fifth, leading off with a single and drawing a walk to end his outing. Aaron Combs immediately tossed two strikeouts in relief and Stark used a back pick at first to throw the runner out and get the Vols out of the jam unscathed.

Dean Curley tried to find some momentum for Tennessee offensively in the sixth, singling to right with one out. Cannon Peebles drew a walk and the Aggies turned to reliever Kaiden Wilson with Stark coming up to the plate.

Stark showed bunt on the first three pitches but took a swing at the fourth, grounding into an inning-ending double play.

Tennessee looked like it was going to waste another opportunity with Moore in scoring position in the seventh. Two outs quickly followed his lead off walk. Then Drieling stepped up to the plate.

The hero of the Vols' CWS-opening win over Florida State, Dreiling played the part again, mashing a two-run shot to right to give Tennessee its first lead at 2-1.

Dreiling's hit provided a spark for the rest of the Vols' lineup. Stark, who was previously 0-of-16 in the CWS, homered to left with two outs to stretch Tennessee's lead to 4-1 in the eighth.

Texas A&M attempted a rally down to its last three outs in the ninth, posting two runners and bringing the tying-run to the plate twice, but reliever Nate Snead slammed the door for good.

1. Cal Stark picks off runner at first to strand two runners in the fifth inning.

2. Dylan Dreiling puts Tennessee in front with two-run home run in the seventh.

3. Stark ends slump with two-run homer to extend Vols' lead in the eighth.

A national champion will be decided on Monday.

Tennessee and Texas A&M will face off in Game 3 beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The Vols are expected to throw left-handed pitcher Zander Sechrist (5-1, 3.22 ERA). He went 6.1 innings with three strikeouts in his last outing against Florida State last Wednesday.

Sechrist will be on four days rest.

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