Tennessee advanced to the next round of the College World Series after defeating North Carolina by a score of 6-1 in Sunday night’s game. The victory brought them one step closer to becoming the first No. 1 overall seed to win the College World Series since 1999.
The matchup began as a pitching duel between Tennessee’s Drew Beam and North Carolina’s Shea Sprague, with neither team allowing a run or hit in the first three innings. However, in the fourth inning, Tennessee broke the deadlock with a three-run home run by Kavares Tears, giving them a 3-0 lead going into the fifth inning.
Beam continued to pitch effectively, holding North Carolina to just one run through five innings. Kirby Connell relieved Beam in the fifth inning and retired all three batters he faced to prevent any further scoring. In the sixth inning, North Carolina responded with a solo home run from Vance Honeycutt, bringing them within four runs of Tennessee.
The Volunteers added insurance in the eighth inning with another RBI from Tears, increasing their lead to 6-1. The defense, led by Nate Snead, shut down North Carolina in the ninth inning to secure the win and advance to the next round of the College World Series. With wins against Florida State and North Carolina, Tennessee has started the series with a 2-0 record. They will play their next game on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
