OMAHA, Neb. – Top-seeded Tennessee did something tonight it had not done all season.
The Vols were 0-10 in 2024 when tied or trailing after eight innings but rallied for four runs to nip No. 8 Florida State on Saturday evening in Game 2 of the 2024 College World Series.
UT will face fourth-seeded North Carolina on Sunday, June 16, at 6 p.m. CT as both look to stay unbeaten in Bracket 1. The Seminoles will meet No. 12 Virginia on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT in an elimination game.
“Both teams get a lot of credit for putting on a show for the fans,” UT head coach Tony Vitello said. “The game prior to ours was like that, too, and that’s what this place is about.”
Kavares Tears started the bottom of the ninth with a triple for the Vols (56-12), his first three-bagger of the season. Dean Curley lifted a sac fly to right to make it 11-9.
Brennen Oxford came in from the bullpen and walked pinch-hitter Cannon Peebles. Cal Stark fouled out to third for the second out.
Christian Moore, who hit for the cycle in his first four plate appearances, doubled to left to move Peebles to third.
“Down to my last strike with two outs,” Moore said, “just want to fight. It’s a battle, me vs. him, mano y mano. And I guess I won that one.”
On a 2-2 pitch, Blake Burke appeared to go around on a check swing. Third base umpire Shawn Rakos ruled no swing, extending the at-bat and the game. After fouling a pitch to the screen, Burke lined a single to center to knock in Peebles and Moore to even the score at 11-11.
“it was a check swing and I didn’t go,” Burke said. “I kept battling after that. I just kept battling, kept battling and that was the result.”
Billy Amick singled to left to move Burke to second.
Connor Hults took over on the mound to face Dreiling, who singled to left center to plate Burke with the game-winner.
“That’s a tough walk-off and was tough in that locker room,” FSU head coach Link Jarrett said. “I’m proud you got to see flashes of that this team can do and is about. But ultimately that pendulum swung the other way in a hurry in the ninth inning.”
The Seminoles (47-16) got one in the top of the first but could have had more. Max Williams had a leadoff single and later scored on a wild pitch. Three other FSU hitters drew walks, but all were stranded as the Noles led 1-0.
Moore had a leadoff triple in the bottom of the frame and scored on a base hit by Burke to tie it at 1-1. Burke came home on a single by Dreiling as UT went up 2-1.
The Vols plated two unearned runs in the second to extend their lead to 4-1.
Ferrer had a two-run double to highlight a six-run third and belted a two-run homer to left an inning later, his 20th of the season, as FSU took a 9-4 advantage.
Tears belted a two-run homer in the fifth for UT, his 19th of the season, and Moore completed his cycle with a line-drive dinger to center, his 33rd of the spring, to make it 9-7.
Marco Dinges had a two-out double with two away in the seventh as FSU pushed its lead to 11-7.
Burke singled and scored on a base hit by Dreiling in the eighth as the Vols narrowed the gap to 11-8 to set up the ninth-inning heroics.
Moore went 5 for 6 with four runs and one RBI. He tripled in the first, doubled in the second, singled in the fourth and homered in the sixth. It was the second cycle in the history of the CWS. Jerry Kindall of Minnesota cycled on June 11, 1956, in a 13-5 victory over Ole Miss.
“To be honest, I didn’t know I did it,” Moore said. “I was just so hyper-focused on winning and just that next task.”
Dreiling was 4 for 6 with three RBI, while Burke went 3 for 5 with three runs and three RBI for UT.
Ferrer had two hits and four RBI for FSU.
The Seminoles stranded 12, while UT left 11 on base.
Notes
Today was the first time that the first two games of the CWS ended in walk-off fashion.
FSU suffered its first NCAA tourney loss this season. Only Kentucky and Texas A&M remain unbeaten in NCAA tourney play.
Tennessee will be the home team against North Carolina on Sunday, while Florida State will be the home team against Virginia.