Kavares Tears and Reese Chapman lit up the night with powerful home runs, and Drew Beam was a force on the mound, limiting North Carolina to just one hit over five shutout innings. This stellar performance helped Tennessee dominate their bracket at the Men's College World Series with a 6-1 victory on Sunday night. The Volunteers, with an impressive 57-12 record, are on a mission to become the first No. 1 national seed since 1999 to clinch the championship.
Beam’s solid pitching, alongside the offensive firepower of Tears and Chapman, set the stage for Tennessee’s commanding win. Beam (9-2) was thrilled with the support from the fans, noting, "It's been awesome seeing the amount of fans who have shown up from Knoxville, all over the country, wearing the orange. This is a pretty special place to us, and so it's awesome the fans get to come enjoy it and watch us play our game."
The Volunteers are now just one win away from advancing to the best-of-three finals. They will face the winner of the elimination game between Florida State (48-16) and North Carolina (48-15) on Wednesday. Tennessee, now 2-0 in a Men's College World Series for the first time, has positioned themselves to potentially fill the streets of downtown Omaha with orange-clad fans for the upcoming week.
Tennessee’s journey to this point has been marked by standout performances and unforgettable moments. For instance, Tar Heels starter Shea Sprague (3-2) initially held off the Volunteers, retiring nine of the first ten batters. However, in the fourth inning, Tears capitalized on a high changeup, sending it off the back wall of the right-field bullpen, right next to the North Carolina logo. This marked his 20th home run of the season, making him the fourth Vols player to reach that milestone, a feat only one other Division I team has achieved.
Meanwhile, Chapman, who was struggling at the plate with just one hit in his last 15 at-bats, found his rhythm again, launching his seventh home run to kick off the bottom of the fifth and chasing Sprague from the mound. This offensive surge provided the Volunteers a comfortable 4-0 lead heading into the sixth inning.
North Carolina managed to break through against Beam with Vance Honeycutt hitting his 27th homer of the season. Following this, Casey Cook and Parks Harber hit back-to-back singles, prompting Tennessee to bring in Kirby Connell. Connell, sporting his distinctive handlebar mustache, delivered two scoreless innings before handing the ball to Nate Snead in the eighth.
Reflecting on the game, Vols coach Tony Vitello remarked, "Fortunate to win because every team in that league [ACC] is good, but North Carolina has had as much success as anybody in it, and they've kind of been a force of nature and still are capable of being that."
Despite the loss, North Carolina coach Scott Forbes remains optimistic, stating, "We lost, but we ain't done. We'll bounce back and be ready to roll on Tuesday." The Tar Heels have struggled offensively in recent games, scoring just six runs over their last three outings. Their lone run against Tennessee was their fewest since a narrow 2-1 loss to South Carolina back in April.
The game began with both teams showcasing their defensive prowess. North Carolina’s shortstop, Colby Wilkerson, made a remarkable play, throwing to first from his knees to get Moore out. Tennessee’s Hunter Ensley also made a highlight-reel catch, sprinting to grab Anthony Donofrio's deep fly to center and crashing into the wall, leaving an eye-black smudge as a testament to his effort. Though Ensley batted twice more, he was replaced by Colby Backus in the fifth as a precaution after the collision.
An unexpected twist occurred when home plate umpire Kellen Levy had to be replaced in the fifth inning by Scott Cline, who had been working second base. Levy was struck in the face mask by a foul ball and subsequently felt unwell. The game experienced a 16-minute delay while Cline changed into protective gear, with Levy being monitored for concussion symptoms.
As the Volunteers gear up for their next challenge, the excitement continues to build. Their fans are ready to rally behind them, hoping to witness history in the making. With dynamic players like Tears and Chapman leading the charge, and Beam’s exceptional pitching, Tennessee has all the elements in place for a championship run. The upcoming games promise more thrilling moments as the Volunteers strive to turn their season of dominance into a historic victory at the College World Series.
Login