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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A six-run ninth inning capped an incredible comeback victory for top-ranked Tennessee in Sunday’s regional final against Georgia Tech as the Volunteers punched their ticket to their second-straight NCAA Super Regional with a 9-6 win at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Five Vols drove in runs in that eventful ninth inning as the first eight batters of the inning reached base. Jordan Beck tied the game with an RBI double before Trey Lipscomb, Christian Moore, Evan Russell and Cortland Lawson all followed with at-bats the produced runs to give the Big Orange a 9-4 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
For the second straight game, UT had to erase a four-run deficit after falling behind in the early going. The Yellow Jackets (36-24) struck first with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third inning due a two-out throwing error by Lawson that allowed both runs to score.
Tech added to its lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth when Stephen Reid sent a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left center to make it a 4-0 game.
Junior lefty Will Mabrey was able to calm the waters and keep the Vols within striking distance with 3.2 shutout innings of relief, striking out five batters while scattering five hits.
A defensive miscue from the Yellow Jackets helped UT get on the board in the fifth as Russell scored from second on a fielding error by first baseman Andrew Jenkins. Lawson scored one batter later on an RBI groundout by Beck to cut the deficit to 4-2.
The Vols continued to chip away with another run on the top of the seventh when Lipscomb singled to drive in Luc Lipcius, who led off the inning with a double. UT had a chance to tie or take the lead with runners on the corners, but Yellow Jackets’ reliever Dawson Brown was able to get Jorel Ortega to bounce into a double play to end the inning.
Entering the ninth trailing by a run, its was pinch hitter Jared Dickey who got the rally started with a single up the middle. The next seven batters proceeded to reach base as the Big Orange scored six runs on four hits and an error to take a five-run lead.
Georgia Tech didn’t go away without a fight in the bottom of the ninth, scoring a pair of runs on three hits to cut the lead to three. The Jackets had the bases loaded with two outs, but Redmond Walsh struck out Colin Hall looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat and send the Vols to supers.
NOTABLE
FEELING SUPER: Tennessee will host its second consecutive super regional in Knoxville next weekend as it hosts Notre Dame, who won the Statesboro Regional on Sunday with a win over Texas Tech. Next weekend’s super will mark the fourth in program history. UT is a perfect 6-0 in its other three super regional appearances with wins over East Carolina (2001), Georgia Tech (2005) and LSU (2021).
COMEBACK KIDS: For the second straight game, the Big Orange battled out of a four-run hole to pull out the win. Tennessee has posted three wins this season in which they went down 4-0: March 5 vs. Baylor, June 4 vs. Campbell and June 5 vs. Georgia Tech.
Entering Sunday’s contest, UT was 1-5 in games it trailed after the eighth inning with its only win in such contests coming in the series finale against Florida in Gainesville on April 24.
ALL-REGIONAL TEAM: Tennessee had four players make the NCAA Knoxville All-Regional Team, led by Jorel Ortega, who was also named the regional’s Most Outstanding Player after leading the team in batting average (.500) and total bases (14), while scoring four runs and totaling five RBIs.
UT’s all-regional team selections were:
Trey Lipscomb – 3B
Drew Gilbert – OF
Jorel Ortega – DH
Blade Tidwell – SP
-UT Athletics
