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Tennessee baseball powers through late to set up rematch with Vanderbilt

By Colton Pickard

Tennessee Volunteers first baseman Blake Burke (25) runs after hitting a grand slam against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Friday, May 17, 2024.
Tennessee Volunteers first baseman Blake Burke (25) runs after hitting a grand slam against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Friday, May 17, 2024. / Randy Sartin/Special To The News
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Tennessee baseball survives a quarterfinal matchup with Mississippi State to advance to the semifinals. The Vols beat the Bulldogs 6-5 thanks to some late-game fireworks and will face Vanderbilt, who beat the Vols 13-4 on Tuesday, for a spot in the SEC Tournament championship game. 

The Vols started the game strong, scoring three runs in the first five innings, but their lead didn't last long after Mississippi State put up a five-spot thanks to a walk and a few base hits in the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead. 

With the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Cannon Peebles brought two runners home after reaching on a fielder's choice and a costly error by the Bulldogs defense. 

Peebles wasn't done making plays in the seventh inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Dave Mershon attempted to steal second, and Peebles gunned him down from behind the plate to end the inning and give the Vols a chance to take the lead in the eighth. 

Mississippi State opened the door for the Vols to take the lead late in the game, and Blake Burke took that honor upon himself and hit a solo home run to give the Vols the lead. Andrew Behnke took over on the mound for the Vols in the eighth inning, sat the Bulldogs down in order, and set up Kirby Connell and Nate Snead to close out the ballgame in the bottom of the ninth. 

It looked like the Vols' pitching might lead them to victory on Friday night after four flawless innings in the scorebook, but that wasn't the case. The offense responded in a big way to keep the Vols alive in the SEC Tournament. 

The Vols now have a date with the Vanderbilt Commodores, the in-state rivals that shalacked Tennessee's pitching on Tuesday. That will be all the motivation Tennessee needs to bring their best in the semifinal game. The Vols and 'Dores first pitch is scheduled for 4:30 PM ET on Saturday, with a spot in the SEC Tournament championship on the line.

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