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Vols down Texas A&M in Game 3, earn series sweep

Tennessee third baseman Zane Denton hit two home runs in the Vols' Game 3 win over Texas A&M.
Tennessee third baseman Zane Denton hit two home runs in the Vols' Game 3 win over Texas A&M. (University of Tennessee Athletics)

Third baseman Zane Denton blasted two home runs and No. 11 Tennessee pulled away from No. 21 Texas A&M to complete the weekend sweep with a 9-6 Game 3 win on Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The win moved the Vols to .500 in SEC play.

Denton finished 2-of-3 at the plate with five RBIs while pinch hitter Dylan Dreiling went 1-of-1 with two more RBIs.

Right-handed pitcher Seth Halvorsen earned the win to improve to 5-3 on the season.

Texas A&M took the lead in the first off of a Jack Moss hit that was originally ruled a double off of the left field wall before an official review reversed the call to a solo home run.

After going scoreless and hitless in the first two innings, Hunter Ensley provided Tennessee (19-6, 3-3 SEC) with its first hit in the bottom third, then Denton gave the Vols a 2-1 lead two at-bats later, sending a Lamkin pitch into the upper deck of the stands in left.

The Aggies responded with a sac-fly RBI from Trevor Werner to even the score at 2-2, but Tennessee took the lead back off of a Christian Scott RBI that scored Jared Dickey.

Texas A&M threatened with two runners on in the fourth and would have likely scored a run if Kasen Wells' hit got down in right. Instead, Scott made a diving grab to prevent any damage, but the Aggies got one run out of the inning for the 3-3 tie.

Denton continued his impressive afternoon at the plate with his second home run, this one a solo shot to lead off the fifth and put Tennessee back in front and open the way for a three-run inning.

Tennessee loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch by reliever Chris Cortez with two outs and Dreiling, in to pinch hit for Cal Stark, ripped a double down the left field line to plate two more runs and up the Vols' lead to 6-3.

Texas A&M (15-9, 1-5) had the tying run at the plate in the sixth, but RHP Aaron Combs struck out Jordan Thompson swinging to leave the Aggies empty handed.

A Blake Burke RBI single to left scored Maui Ahuna in the sixth, then Denton brought two more runs across with a two-RBI single in the seventh.

Texas A&M closed the gap with three runs in the ninth but RHP Camden Sewell closed the door on the Aggies' comeback hopes with a strikeout.

Tennessee hosts UNC Asheville in a midweek matchup on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in Knoxville before taking on No. 1 LSU at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge in a three game series beginning Thursday.

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