Tennessee baseball evens series with Georgia on high scoring night

After a dissapointing opening to the series, Tennessee baseball fired back with a strong win over Georgia on Saturday.

The Vols' bats powered them to a 16-11win to even the series.

27 runs were scored in the game, but Tennessee (23-5, 4-4 SEC) produced 16 to claim the win.

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Getting the start for Tennessee was the typically dependable Drew Beam. He started strong through two innings but fell apart in the third. His final line sat at 2.2 innings pitched while allowing seven runs (four earned) on eight hits, two walks and a strikeout.

Out of the bullpen, Kirby Connell ate innings to save the bullpen. He ultimately went five full innings while holding the Bulldogs (22-5, 4-4) to three runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Nate Snead cleaned things up on the mound replacing Connell.

At the plate, home runs off the bats of Dylan Dreiling (twice), Blake Burke and Dalton Bargo were crucial in producing runs. Dreiling finished with seven RBI on a pair of bombs while Burke recorded two RBI on three hits.

For Burke, that is the 40th of his career. This ties Luc Lipcius' career mark for most in program history.

For Georgia, it was Charlie Condon who caused issues. He finished 5-for-6 with two home runs and a double as he continues his case for the Golden Spikes award.

Tennessee

1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B

2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B

3. Robin Villeneuve (R) - DH

4. Kavares Tears (L) - RF

5. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF

6. Dean Curley (R) - 3B

7. Hunter Ensley (R) - CF

8. Cal Stark (R) - C

9. Ariel Antigua (R) - SS

RHP - Drew Beam

Georgia

1. Corey Collins (L) - 1B

2. Charlie Condon (R) - CF

3. Slate Alford (R) - 3B

4. Dylan Goldstein (L) - DH

5. Paul Toetz (R) - RF

6. Fernando Gonzalez (R) - C

7. Clayton Chadwick (L) - LF

8. Sebastian Murillo (R) - 2B

9. Kolby Branch (R) - SS

RHP - Leighton Finley

Tennessee got off to a much better start this time around. The Vols held Georgia off the board in the first before tacking on three runs off the bat of Dreiling. His opposite-field, two-out homer scored Burke and Kavares Tears to give Tennessee a 3-0 advantage.

The Bulldogs threatened to score with a runner on first in the top of the second, but Tears made a diving catch that almost certainly saved a run with the runner leaving on contact with two outs.

However, Georgia left no doubt in the third. The Bulldogs hit two home runs and used other hits to push across seven runs. Beam couldn't work out of the inning with Connell coming in to clean up the frame.

Burke left the yard in the top of the third to bring the Vols back within three. The solo shot tied the record for most career home runs in program history.

It didn't take long for Georgia to get the run back, though. Paul Toetz doubled in the top of the fourth to push the lead back to four.

Tennessee snapped back in the bottom of the fifth. First, Burke singled for his third hit of the game to push one across. Then, Tears drew a walk with the bases loaded to add another. It was Dreiling's second bomb of the game that gave the Vols the lead. His grand slam and seventh RBI put Tennessee up 10-8.

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While the Vols scratched back into the game, Connell ate innings on the mound. In the seventh, this began to catch up with him as he allowed a two-run shot to Kolby Branch to tie the game back at 10.

Dean Curley put Tennessee back on top with a double in the bottom of the seventh. Reese Chapman came in as a pinch hitter and drew a bases-loaded walk to push another across.

Then, Dalton Bargo teed off for another grand slam to put the Vols up 16-10. In the top of the eighth, Connell allowed two runners with two outs but Snead came in to shut it down.

Condon added one run in the ninth on a solo shot but Tennessee held on to claim the win.

1) Burke ties the program record

2) Bargo hits a late grand slam

3) Tears saves a run in right

Tennessee will now look to claim the series finale and weekend slate. It will square off with the Bulldogs at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.

Then, the Vols will skip a midweek match and head to Auburn to face the Tigers for a road series.

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