Tennessee's first outing as the consensus No. 1 team in college baseball was shaky through the six innings, but the Vols did enough late on Tuesday.

In its second-to-last midweek match up, Tennessee overcame two deficits to beat Queens, 6-3 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The victory secured the Vols' (40-9) fifth-straight full season with 40 or more wins.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

Just three days after run-ruling Florida with 16 runs, including 11 in one inning, Tennessee's bats were quiet much of the night, totaling just four hits and scoring its first run on a wild pitch in the first six frames.

A lineup change in the seventh proved to be the difference for the Vols' offense as Dalton Bargo started with a single that opened the way for a four-run inning that was headlined by Dylan Dreiling's three-run home run that put Tennessee in front.

The Vols' bullpen was efficient as left-handed reliever Dylan Loy pitched 3.1 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out five. He was followed by Andrew Bhenke, who struck out four while giving up one run and two hits in 2.1 innings of work.

J.J. Garcia (2-0) earned the win after taking over on the mound in the seventh.

Tennessee

1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B

2. Blake Burke (L) - 1B

3. Billy Amick (R) - 3B

4. Kavares Tears (L) - RF

5. Dylan Dreiling (L) - LF

6. Hunter Ensley (R) - CF

7. Dean Curley (R) - SS

8. Cannon Peebles (B) - DH

9. Charlie Taylor (R) - C

RHP Marcus Phillips

Queens

1. Jake Barbour (L) - SS

2. Dillon Lewis (R) - CF

3. Matthew Corlew (R) - RF

4. Tyler Cotto (R) - C

5. Will Budnick (L) - 1B

6. Connor Manco (L) - DH

7. Zach Westen (L) - 2B

8. Tyler Peters (R) - 3B

9. Andrew McDermott (L) - LF

RHP Landry Jurecka

Starting pitcher Marcus Phillips' outing was brief after a hit-by-pitch and three-straight walks allowed Queens to take an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

Dylan Loy was the first out of the bullpen to try and limit the damage to just one run, but the Royals plated another run on a fielder's choice to go up 2-0 before Loy got Tennessee out of the inning with his first strikeout.

Looking to respond in the bottom half, Christian Moore led off with a walk and Kavares Tears singled to right to post runners on the corners with two outs, but the Vols came up empty-handed in the inning.

Loy settled in in the second, tossing his second and third strikeouts but Tennessee continued to struggle at the plate with runners on, stranding two, including one in scoring position to remain scoreless through two.

Tennessee didn't need a hit to score its first run. With runners on the corners, helped by a couple of walks, a wild pitch scored Hunter Ensley from third to cut the Vols' deficit to 2-1 with one out.

Moore followed it up with a single through the left side, his 50th RBI of the season to even the score at 2-2.

Both pitchers traded 1-2-3 frames, though Amick and Tears sent two balls to the warning track.

The Royals (12-37) regained the lead in the sixth on an RBI single to right.

After entering the lineup in the seventh, Dalton Bargo led off with a single to center, then Moore singled to around the same spot to get two runners on with no outs. A ground-out RBI from Billy Amick scored the tying run.

Then it happened. The hit that Tennessee had been waiting on came off of the bat of Dylan Dreiling, a three-run homer that landed well beyond the wall in right to put the Vols in front for the first time at 6-3.

Queens didn't go away easily. The Royals loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth, but relievers Kirby Connell and Aaron Combs combined for three strikeouts to end the threat.

1. Christian Moore records his 50th RBI of the season to draw even in the fourth inning.

2. Dylan Dreiling gives Tennessee its first lead with a three-run home run in the seventh.

Tennessee will continue its pursuit of an SEC regular season title this weekend against Vanderbilt in Nashville.

The Vols, who are 17-7 in conference play, currently sit behind Kentucky in the eastern division and are tied with Arkansas in the overall league standings but can make some headway with two series left, starting with the Commodores.

Tennessee and Vanderbilt will play the first of three games at Hawkins Field on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.

The Commodores (32-16, 11-13 SEC) are coming off of three-straight losses at Georgia last week.

–––––

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media, @CalebSisk_.

–––––