Tennessee scored five runs in the first two innings, scored four more in the eighth after seemingly holding off Alabama, then had to hold off the Crimson Tide again in the ninth to draw even in the series with a 10-7 Game 2 win in Tuscaloosa on late Saturday.

For the second-straight game, the Vols (21-2) took an early lead over Alabama (22-2) at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. This time, Tennessee held on to it to, stringing together timely hits and getting out of jams to end a two-game skid.

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Tennessee overcame two errors as Hunter Ensley went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs. Dalton Bargo was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Dean Curley finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs to headline a Vols' lineup that accounted for 11 hits.

Curley's two-run home run in the eighth opened the way for the Vols' four-run frame that provided a six-run lead before Alabama combined for three runs in the eighth and ninth and brought the tying run to the plate with two outs.

Tanner Franklin, the fifth arm that Tennessee used in the game, closed the door by striking out Will Plattner to earn his second save of the season.

Reliever Dylan Loy (4-0) picked up the win.

Tennessee struck first for the second time in the series.

Dean Curley led off with a single up the middle and was followed by a Jay Abernathy walk. Hunter Ensley brought in the first run on an RBI single to right to give the Vols a 1-0 lead with no outs.

Andrew Fischer, who put Tennessee up early in Game 1, came through again with a single through the left side to plate Abernathy and stretch the Vols' lead to 2-0.

Even when Alabama got its second out, Tennessee scored on it, with Reese Chapman reaching on a fielder's choice on a play that the Crimson Tide infield tried to turn two on. The sequence allowed Ensley to score to go up 3-0.

Chapman was caught stealing at second in the following at-bat, but in a similar start to Game 1 on Friday, Tennessee had a three-run advantage right out of the gate as Marcus Phillips headed to the mound.

Phillips was masterful in the Vols' series-clinching win over Florida last weekend, and got off to another quick start, sending Alabama down in order in the bottom half of the first with three-straight ground outs.

The Vols added two more runs in the second with Abernathy driving in one and Ensley knocking in his second RBI in as many at-bats to open up a 5-0 lead. Tennessee could have added more with the bases loaded, but left the stranded.

Alabama answered in the third after Will Plattner and Richie Bonomolo Jr. opening the frame with back-to-back singles. A throwing error from Manny Marin scored Plattner and Bonomolo scored another on Bryce Fowler's ground-out RBI to trim the Vols' lead to 5-2.

Tennessee was unable to take advantage of a base-runner in the fourth after Ensley got his third hit to get on first, and the Crimson Tide threatened in the bottom frame.

Will Hodo drew a one-out walk and Kade Snell moved him into scoring position with a single two at-bats later. Phillips got out of the inning unscathed when Plattner grounded into a fielder's choice and Snell was out at second.

A 1-2-3 inning from the Vols' order put Alabama right back at the plate, and a Justin Lebron single to right scored Bonomolo, who reached on a hit-by-pitch and then moved over to second on a wild pitch to again cut into Tennessee's lead at 5-3.

Phillips got a strikeout for the second out, but Lebron stole second and made it over to third on another throwing error, this one from Stone Lawless before Jason Torres was walked to post runners on the corners.

That ended Phillips' night, and Dylan Loy took over out of the bullpen to try and limit the damage. Loy gave up a walk against the first batter he faced in Hodo, and the Crimson Tide had the bases loaded.

Then Loy struck out Brennen Norton looking and Tennessee again pulled off another escape act that kept its lead intact.

Ensley robbed Alabama of a hit in the sixth, diving for a ball that was hit into shallow left and snagging it for an out. Nate Snead, who took over for Loy in the inning, got his first strikeout to strand a runner at second.

After cooling off offensively and not paying off baserunners, Dalton Bargo provided a spark in the seventh. With Fischer on base after drawing a two-out walk, Bargo hit one to the gap in right-center that brought Fischer in and the Vols' lead was extended to 6-3.

The Crimson Tide got one back in the bottom seventh on Torres' RBI single to center field to score Lebron, and were in position to add more. But Hodo grounded to Marin at second, who flipped it over to Ariel Antigua at short before he darted a throw to Fischer to pull off the inning-ending double play with Tennessee up, 6-4.

The Vols were holding onto their lead, but needed a jolt. Antigua kept the inning going with a two-out infield single in eighth. It set up Curely, who mashed a two-run shot to left-center to swell the Tennessee lead to 8-4.

Two more runs scored when Bargo hit a bases-loaded single to center to score Ensley and Abernathy and give the Vols a six-run cushion at 10-4 heading into the bottom eighth.

An RBI single from Fowler cut into the Vols' lead in the frame, but he was thrown at by Stone Lawless at second on a steal attempt to keep Alabama from adding more.

Tony Vitello stuck with Snead in the ninth, but with the Crimson Tide down to their last two outs, inched closer off of Coleman Mizell's solo homer to right. Torres walked and Hodo singled to put two on with one out.

Norton singled to center and Torres scored, putting the tying run at the plate and leading to Snead getting pulled for Andrew Behnke.

Kade Snell lined out Abernathy in left to get two outs with two on and Tanner Franklin came out of the bullpen after Behnke's short outing. Plattner was the first and last batter Franklin faced. He struck him out swinging on a 2-2 count.

Tennessee will go for its second SEC series on Sunday.

Game 3 between the Vols and Alabama is slated for a 2 p.m. ET first pitch at Sewell-Thomas Stadium (SEC Network+).

Right-handed pitcher Bobby Alcock (3-0, 3.60 ERA) will get the start for the Crimson Tide. Tennessee has not announced its starter.

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