Tennessee holds off Texas A&M for first MCWS title

Field Level Media|published: Mon 24th June, 22:52 2024

Syndication: The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Tennessee's Christian Moore (1) celebrates while running the bases after hitting a home run during game three of the NCAA College World Series finals between Tennessee and Texas A&M at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb., on Monday, June 24, 2024.

For the first time, the NCAA baseball championship is heading to Rocky Top.

Christian Moore clouted a leadoff homer Monday night, Zander Sechrist worked 5 1/3 effective innings and No. 1 Tennessee held off No. 3 Texas A&M 6-5 in Omaha, Neb., to win the decisive third game of the Men's College World Series' championship round.

After losing the opener of the best-of-three set 9-5 on Saturday night, the Volunteers (60-13) evened the series 4-1 on Sunday and then finished the job on Monday, getting the insurance they needed with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Dylan Dreiling cracked a two-run, two-out homer to right, just over the glove of leaping Caden Sorrell, to make it 5-1. Hunter Ensley singled and then scored from first when Kavares Tears ripped a double off the right-center-field wall.

Sechrist (6-2) scattered six hits, allowed a run and walked one while fanning seven. Aggies starter Justin Lamkin (3-3) lasted just 2 2/3 innings, permitting five hits and three runs with two walks and two strikeouts.

Moore got Tennessee off to a fast start, lining a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for his 34th homer of the season. Texas A&M (53-15) equalized in the top of the third when Gavin Grahovac laced an RBI single to left that scored Travis Chestnut.

The Volunteers took the lead for good in their half of the third with two runs. Dreiling lofted a sacrifice fly to center that scored Blake Burke and Dean Curley made it 3-1 by smacking an RBI single to left that scored Ensley.

The Aggies rallied in the eighth, getting a run-scoring single from Hayden Schott and then an RBI double from Sorrell that pulled them within 6-3. But Tennessee summoned Kirby Connell from the bullpen, and he quashed the threat with two strikeouts.

Texas A&M got two in the ninth via Jackson Appel's run-scoring single and a wild pitch that chased Appel home. However, Aaron Combs fanned Ted Burton with a breaking ball to secure his sixth save and start a wild celebration.

--Field Level Media