No. 1 Tennessee clinched its final Southeastern Conference series of the 2022 season with a comeback victory Friday on the road.
The Volunteers (48-7, 24-5 SEC) defeated defending College World Series champion Mississippi State (26-29, 9-20 SEC), 4-3, at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
Tennessee, which defeated the Bulldogs, 27-2, Thursday, completed its comeback in the eighth inning.
With the Vols trailing, 3-1, Jordan Beck drove in a run with a double and later scored on Drew Gilbert’s two-run home run that netted UT the series win.
Reliever Blade Tidwell (2-1) pitched three innings of scoreless relief and had five strikeouts. He did not allow a hit or a walk after taking over for starter Chase Burns. Burns pitched six innings, allowing three runs and eight hits, while striking out six.
The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Hunter Hines.
Tennessee pulled even on an RBI single by Seth Stephenson.
Mississippi State regained the lead in the seventh inning on a two-run double by Kellum Clark.