NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Tennessee scored five runs in the eighth in a come-from-behind, 8-4 victory over Vanderbilt on Hawkins Field on Friday night.
Kavares Tears and Cannon Peebles each hit home runs off Vanderbilt freshmen Miller Green and Brennan Seiber, respectively, as part of the decisive inning.
Vandy held a lead coming into the inning thanks to a three-run sixth, but a pair of singles and a Dylan Dreiling triple, combined with the two home runs, led to the Vols blowing the game open.
"It's challenging for any staff," coach Tim Corbin said. "They're good from top to bottom and they certainly have some guys off the bench who can ding you, too, obviously, with Peebles. But they've got several guys like that. Yeah, good team. Well-balanced team."
It wasted a a good start from Bryce Cunningham, who struck out 10, walked two and allowed three runs, all earned.
"He pitched really well," coach Tim Corbin said. "After he got through that first inning, I thought he was really good. He commanded the fastball really well and he attacked. Obviously a good offensive team today. I thought he did what he needed to do to put him in a good position."
The Commodores fell to 11-14 in the league.
Vanderbilt battled back after a tough start.
Christian Moore hit the third pitch of the game the other way and out to right for a 1-0 Tennessee lead. Three hitters later, Tears walked, Dreiling drove him in with a double and it was 2-0.
Vandy’s Jacob Humphrey launched an opposite-field homer to right to get Vandy within a run in the second.
But after Cunningham just missed striking out Dreiling for the third out of the third, Dreiling dumped a single into center to score Billy Amick to make it 3-1.
Vandy’s bats stayed quiet until a two-out rally out against AJ Causey. Cam Kozeal coaxed a walk, Cam Barczi singled to center and Polk doubled to left center to cut the lead to a run.
Humphrey started the count 0-1 after a pitch clock violation, fell down 0-2 and then ripped a go-ahead single to left-center.
Cunningham gave up a one-out walk to Cal Stark in the seventh, then, struck Moore out looking.
Corbin then went to Miller Green, who got Blake Burke to ground softly to third on his first pitch to get the ‘Dores out of the seventh with a 4-3 lead.
But that was short lived as the Vols struck for five in the eighth. Corbin was asked if Greyson Carter, one of the team's best ground-ball inducers, was an option.
"Miller Green went back there after getting Burke out and we went with Seiber to try to get the ground ball with the situation with the runner at third. And then after that, he was not an option."
The Vols' AJ Causey went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (all earned) in picking up the win.
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