Tennessee walks off Florida State, moves on in College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. — Tennessee's season was nearing the brink.

The No. 1 overall seed Vols, who let an early lead slip away against 8-seed Florida State in their opening game of the College World Series, were a strike and an out away from being sent to an elimination game in the bottom of the ninth inning at Charles Schwab Field late Friday.

With the tying-run in scoring position, Blake Burke sent a Brennen Oxford pitch up the middle to even the score. Two at-bats later, Dylan Dreiling walked off the Seminoles on a hit that completed a 12-11 comeback victory and keeps Tennessee in the winners bracket.

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The Vols (56-12) won in spite of three errors and inconsistency from their pitching staff, all of which was overcome by stellar offensive performances from Christian Moore and Kavares Tears.

Moore hit the cycle with a single, double, triple and home run while Tears homered and sparked Tennessee's rally with a triple in the ninth.

Tennessee

1. Christian Moore (R) - 2B

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. Dalton Bargo (L) - DH

9. Cal Stark (R) - C

LHP Chris Stamos

Florida State

1. Max Williams (L) - CF

2. Cam Smith (R) - 3B

3. James Tibbs II (L) - RF

4. Marco Dinges (R) - DH

5. Jaime Ferrer (R) - LF

6. Daniel Cantu (L) - 1B

7. Alex Lodise (R) - SS

8. Drew Faurot (B) - 2B

9. Jaxon West (L) - C

LHP Jamie Arnold

Florida State posted runners on the corners with one out in the top of the first and struck first on a wild pitch from A.J. Causey, scoring to go ahead 1-0.

The Seminoles were in position to do even more damage after a walk loaded the bases with two outs, but Causey worked his way out of the jam with his second strikeout of the frame to send Tennessee to the home half down just one.

Christian Moore led off the bottom first with a triple into the gap in right-center that made it to the wall before it was corralled. Blake Burke paid him off with an RBI single into shallow left that drew the Vols even at 1-1.

Florida State starter Jamie Arnold continued to struggle, giving up another single from Dylan Dreiling that scored Burke and put Tennessee in front, 2-1 with still no outs, though a double play and ground out ended the inning.

A throwing error from Moore put a runner in scoring position for the Seminoles in the second and Max Williams smacked a single into right field that Kavares Tears mishandled, but instead of trotting home for the game-tying score, Jaxson West stayed at third.

Tennessee's infield made West pay for the mistake, turning a double play to stay in the lead. The Vols then scored two more runs in the following frame, including a Moore double into left that brought Cal Stark across on a dramatic play that ended him dislodging the ball from West, the catcher to stretch Tennessee's lead to 3-1.

The Seminoles were nearly out of the inning after Burke bunted to Arnold, but his throw to first was wide, allowing Moore to score and push the Vols ahead at 4-1.

As disastrous as the previous two innings were for Florida State, Jaime Ferrer gave the Seminoles life in the third, doubling to the wall to score two runs and trim their deficit to 4-3.

After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with no outs, reliever Kirby Connell took over for Causey, but Tennessee kept spiraling as a walk tied the game for the second time and a fielding error on Burke scored two more runs to give Florida State a 6-4 lead.

Cam Smith added the sixth run of the inning on a triple, swelling the lead to 7-4.

Dreiling tried to get the momentum back for Tennessee in the bottom third with a one-out single but Tears grounded into a double-play as the Vols were held scoreless for the first time in three innings.

The Seminoles, meanwhile picked up where they left off in the fourth with Ferrer hitting a two-run home run to go up 9-4.

Moore extended the fourth with a two-out blooper into right and Burke drew a walk to load the bases for Tennessee, but it came up empty-handed.

Aaron Combs settled in and pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth to keep Florida State off the board and Tears gave the Vols their first score in three frames with a two-run homer to left to pull within three at 9-6 with one out.

Moore drew Tennessee closer in the sixth and made CWS history in the process, completing just the second cycle ever recorded at the event on a solo homer that pull the Vols within two at 9-7.

Looking to respond in the seventh with two runners on, Marco Dinges doubled to the gap in right-center to drive both runs home and again swell the Florida State lead to 11-7.

Tennessee had two quick outs to begin the eighth, but Burk kept the inning going with a two-out single to right, then Billy Amick worked a long at-bat before reaching on an infield single.

Dylan Dreiling scored a run on a single in left to cut the Seminoles' lead to 11-8, though Florida State managed to get out of the frame with just one run given up.

Down to its last three outs in the ninth, Tears tripled off the wall in center and a Dean Curley sac-fly scored him to bring the score to 11-9 with one out. Moore doubled to put the tying run into scoring position.

Facing two strikes, Burke singled up the middle to score Cannon Peebles and Moore to tie the game at 11-11.

Dreiling, who has made a name for himself as one of the most clutch hitters in the Vols' lineup, came through again, driving a ball to the gap in right-center to score Burke.

1. Christian Moore completes just the second cycle in CWS history with solo home run in the sixth inning.

2. Cal Stark pays off Moore's double with dramatic play at the plate in the second.

3. Kavares Tears pulls Tennessee within three on a two-run home run in the fifth.

Tennessee will face North Carolina in the winners bracket.

The Tar Heels won in equally dramatic fashion in Game 1 of the CWS earlier Friday, walking off Virginia, 3-2.

First pitch is slated for Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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