Despite grabbing an early lead, Tennessee baseball fell in game two of the Knoxville Super Regional with Evansville.
The Vols hit three solo home runs in the first off the bats of Blake Burke, Dylan Dreiling and Hunter Ensley but the offense cooled down in the 10-8 loss.
Tennessee would add just two more runs before the ninth inning off a sac-fly by Burke and a double from Kavares Tears.
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As a team, the Vols racked up eight hits at the plate.
On the mound, Drew Beam got the ball to start and threw three no-hit innings. However, the wheels came off in the fourth as he was pinned with five earned runs in the outing.
In relief, Kirby Connell, Nate Snead, Andrew Behnke and JJ Garcia all pitched. They combined to allow five more earned runs.
This forces a winner-take-all game tomorrow between the teams. This will be the third-straight season Tennessee will have played in a game three of a super regional. Last season, the Vols won on the road vs. Southern Miss. In 2022, also as the No. 1 overall seed, they fell to Notre Dame.
STARTING LINEUPS
Tennessee
1. Christian Moore (R) - DH
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. Bradke Lohry (R) - 2B
9. Cal Stark (R) - C
RHP - Drew Beam
Evansville
1. Simon Scherry (R) - SS
2. Mark Shallenberger (L) - LF
3. Kip Fougerousse (R) - RF
4. Chase Huge (L) - 1B
5. Brent Widder (R) - 3B
6. Cal McGinnis (L) - 2B
7. Evan Waggnoer (L) - DH
8. Harrison Taubert (R) - CF
9. Brendan Hord (R) - C
LHP - Donovan Schultz
HOW IT HAPPENED
Tennessee wasted no time jumping on Evansville. In the top of the first as the designated away team, the Vols used a Burke blast to take a 1-0 lead. This score didn't last long as Dreiling and Ensley both added solo shots of their own in the same frame.
Beam took the mound in the bottom of the first and sat down the Purple Aces in order to hold the score.
The Vols plated another run in the second through a sacrifice fly by Burke with the bases loaded. This parlayed with another strong inning from Beam to hold Evansville in place.
However, Beam gave up his first hit in a fourth inning that featured a surrendering of three runs. Despite being taken out in relief in the midst of the next inning, three more runs were plated to tie the game at six.
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Tears' double in the top of the fifth was the run prior to the second three-run outburst to give the Vols a sixth run.
Evansville added four more in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of two-run shots.
In the top of the ninth, Tennessee loaded the bases with no outs. It plated three but that was all it could muster. Christian Moore popped out with the bases loaded and two outs with a full count to record the final out.
PLAYS OF THE GAME
1. Three bombs in the first
2. Kavares tears RBI double
WHAT THEY SAID
UP NEXT
Tennessee will host Evansville for a game three winner-take-all on Sunday.
A win marks consecutive College World Series. A loss ends the season.
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
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