Vols score six in ninth to beat Georgia Tech, advance in NCAA Tournament

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Join hundreds of other Tennessee fans in our game thread where you can follow along for live play-by-play updates and commentary as No. 1 Tennessee (55-7) takes on Georgia Tech (36-23) in the Knoxville Regional final.

If the Vols win, they'll advance to Super Regionals. If they lose, there will be a winner-take-all “Game 7” on Monday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET.

First pitch: 7:06 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPNU

Listen: Click here

Live Stats: Click here

Starting Lineup

Four Takeaways

Here’s four quick takeaways from Tennessee’s 9-6 win over Georgia Tech on Sunday night to win the Knoxville Regional and advance to Super Regionals:

Rounding 1st — Mabrey saves the day

Junior lefty Will Mabrey saved the day for Tennessee a night after his fellow lefty Kirby Connell did so against Campbell.

Mabrey entered in the fourth inning and worked the Vols out of the jam. He went on to throw 3.2 innings and calm the waters while the offense found his way. Mabrey allowed five hits, but didn't give up a walk or a run, and struck out five on 56 hits.

Rounding 2nd — Vols explode in the ninth

Tennessee struggled to hit with runners in scoring position all game long. It finally found a way to push some runs across in the top of the ninth after entering the frame trailing 4-3.

The Vols scored six runs following a pinch-hit Jared Dickey single to lead off the ninth. Tennessee's next seven hitters reached base to advance to the next weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

For the second straight game, the Vols battled out of a four-run hole to pull out the win. Tennessee has now posted three wins this season in which they went down 4-0: March 5 vs. Baylor, June 4 vs. Campbell and June 5 vs. Georgia Tech.

Entering Sunday's game, it was 1-5 in games it trailed after the eighth inning with its only win in such contests coming in the series finale against Florida in Gainesville on April 24.

Rounding 3rd — Beam starts

Freshman Drew Beam started against the Yellow Jackets and lasted 3.1 innings. Beam allowed four runs, two earned runs, four walks, three hits and struck out two in his first postseason start. 36 of his 66 pitches were called strikes.

Headed for Home — Up Next

Tennessee will now host its second consecutive super regional in Knoxville next weekend as it hosts Notre Dame, who won the Statesboro Regional on Sunday with a win over Texas Tech.

Next weekend's super will mark the fourth in program history. UT is a perfect 6-0 in its other three super regional appearances with wins over East Carolina (2001), Georgia Tech (2005) and LSU (2021).

Starting Pitchers

Tennessee's starting pitcher: Freshman RHP Drew Beam (8-1, 2.60 ERA) made his 15th start of the season and his 16th appearance.

Beam's season stats entering the game: 72.2 IP, 47 H, 22 R, 21 ER, 17 BB, 60 K, .184 opponent batting average

Georgia Tech's starting pitcher: Sophomore RHP Zach Maxwell (5-0, 5.96 ERA) made his sixth start of the season and his 21st appearance.

Maxwell's season stats entering the game: 45.1 IP, 39 H, 30 R, 30 ER, 36 BB, 73 K, .232 opponent batting average

Key Plays

T-1st: Tennessee 0, Georgia Tech 0

Seth Stephenson singled and Luc Lipcius walked to lead off the game, but the Vols couldn't take advantage. Jordan Beck struck out for the first out with runners on first and second before Drew Gilbert hit into a double play to end the inning.

B-1st: Tennessee 0, Georgia Tech 0

Drew Beam started the bottom of the first by allowing a walk, but did a nice job responding with a fly ball to right field and a double play to work around it and get out of the inning.

T-2nd: Tennessee 0, Georgia Tech 0

Trey Lipscomb singled to lead off the second, but the Vols wasted the opportunity for a second straight inning. Jorel Ortega and Blake Burke each proceeded to strikeout before Evan Russell grounded out to second to end the inning.

T-3rd: Tennessee 0, Georgia Tech 0

Tennessee led off the inning for the third straight frame with a hit, this time from Cortland Lawson. The Vols wasted this opportunity as well when Seth Stephenson grounded out, Luc Lipcius struck out and Jordan Beck struck out.

B-3rd: Tennesse 0, Georgia Tech 2 (+2)

Georgia Tech struck first after Drew Beam walked the 8-hole hitter and gave up a double to the 9-hole. Beam bounced back with a strikeout for the second out, and a ground ball to get out of the inning, except Cortland Lawson made a throwing error that allowed both runners to score.

The Yellow Jackets took a 2-0 lead with two outs as a result of the Lawson error.

T-4th: Tennessee 0, Georgia Tech 2

Jorel Ortega singled with two outs and advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Blake Burke struck out to end the inning and strand Ortega.

B-4th: Tennessee 0, Georgia Tech 4 (+4)

After Drew Beam gave up a one-out single, Georgia Tech right fielder Stephen Reid hit a two-run home run to extend the Yellow Jackets' lead to 4-0. Beam proceeded to walk the next two hitters and prompt Tony Vitello to go to the bullpen.

Vitello brought in lefty Will Mabrey. The junior inherited runners on first and second with one out. He immediately struck out Jadyn Jackson for the second out and a ground ball from Chandler Simpson to get out of the inning and prevent further damage.

T-5th: Tennessee 2 (+2), Georgia Tech 4

The Vols finally got on the board in the fifth when they scratched across two runs on two walks and a Georgia Tech error.

It all started when Evan Russell and Cortland Lawson drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning, and then with one out, Georgia Tech first baseman Andrew Jenkins didn't field a Luc Lipcius ground ball, allowing Russell to score from second.

Jordan Beck then made it a 4-2 ball game, when with runners on the corners and one out, the Vols' right fielder hit an RBI groundout to third that scored Lawson.

B-5th: Tennessee 2, Georgia Tech 4

Will Mabrey worked out of a jam in the bottom of the fifth to keep it a two-run game.

The lefty reliever gave up back-to-back walks with one out before picking up a strikeout for the second out. Then, with runners on first and second, Cortland Lawson made a diving stop on a ground ball up the middle. Lawson deflected it, allowing Jorel Ortega to pick up the ball to fire home and throw out the runner to end the inning and threat.

T-6th: Tennessee 2, Georgia Tech 4

Tennessee stranded the bases loaded in the sixth inning. After Jorel Ortega singled, Evan Russell and Cortland Lawson each walked with two outs. Seth Stephenson then struck out looking to end the frame.

T-7th: Tennessee 3 (+1), Georgia Tech 4

Luc Lipcius doubled and Jordan Beck singled to lead off the top of the seventh. They then advanced to second and third on a ground ball to first that set up Trey Lipscomb for an RBI single to make it a 4-3 game.

The Vols were in position to tie the game after Lipscomb's single, but Jorel Ortega grounded into a double play on the first pitch he saw to strand runners on the corners.

B-7th: Tennessee 3, Georgia Tech 4

A Cortland Lawson error and Georgia Tech single put two Yellow Jackets on base to put runners on base to lead off the bottom of the seventh. After a ground ball for the first out moved the runners to second and third, Will Mabrey got back-to-back fly balls to end the inning and strand the runners.

T-8th: Tennessee 3, Georgia Tech 4

Blake Burke walked to lead off the eighth, but Evan Russell then grounded into a double play to kill the inning.

B-8th: Tennessee 3, Georgia Tech 4

After Will Mabrey allowed a single to Stephen Reid to lead off the inning, Tony Vitello brought in Redmond Walsh from the bullpen.

Walsh inherited a runner on first and proceeded to get three ground balls to second on three pitches to end the inning.

T-9th: Tennessee 9 (+6), Georgia Tech 4

Trailing 4-3 entering the top of the ninth, the Vols scored six runs on four hits and one Georgia Tech error.

Jared Dickey got the inning going with a pinch-hit single. Kyle Booker, who came on to pinch-run for Dickey, then beat out a toss to second on a ground ball to put runners on first and second with no outs. Jordan Beck then stepped to the plate and smoked an RBI double over the centerfielder's head to tie the game at four.

The Vols took a 5-4 lead in the next at-bat when Trey Lipscomb was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Then, after Jorel Ortega reached on a fielder's choice to keep the bases loaded, freshman Christian Moore hit a two-run single with one out to extend the lead to 7-4.

Tennessee finished the inning with an Evan Russell RBI single and a Cortland Lawson sac fly to make it 9-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

B-9th: Tennessee 9, Georgia Tech 6 (+2)

The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and were able to score two runs out of it on a two-run single. Redmond Walsh responded with a strikeout for out No. 2, and after a walk to load the bases again, another strikeout for out No. 3 to end the game.

Final Box Score