OMAHA, Neb. − Christian Moore nodded furiously at the Tennessee baseball dugout.
The Vols trailed by two with two outs in the ninth inning and Moore was down to his final strike Friday. But the Vols were not done yet.
Moore doubled to the left-field corner and Blake Burke delivered an at-bat for the Tennessee history books, battling through a seven-pitch at-bat before delivering a two-run single as the longstanding Vols postseason magic finally reached the College World Series.
Dylan Dreiling delivered the decisive drive, a single to center to lift the Vols to a walk-off win in their CWS opener 12-11 against Florida State at Charles Schwab Field.
UT (56-12) will face North Carolina (48-14) on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Charles Schwab Field. UNC beat Virginia 3-2 in the opener Friday.
Moore was 5-for-6 with a cycle and four extra-base hits.
Tennessee’s ninth-inning rally broken down
Tennessee hadn’t won a game it didn’t lead after eight innings this season until Friday. UT trailed by three entering the ninth.
Kavares Tears started Tennessee’s ninth-inning rally with a triple off the wall and he scored on a Dean Curley sacrifice fly. Cannon Peebles worked a full-count walk before Cal Stark fouled out.
Moore and Burke had back-to-back hits on full counts to extend the game. Burke tied it with a two-run single before Billy Amick singled to left to bring up Dreiling, who has a penchant for clutch hits. He came through again with a game-winner.
Christian Moore made College World Series history with a cycle
Moore roped a triple into the right-center gap in the first inning for his first triple of the year. He doubled in the second and singled in the fourth.
The junior made history in the seventh when he hit a 440-foot homer to centerfield. It was the second cycle in CWS history and the first since 1956.
CYCLE:Christian Moore hits for cycle in Tennessee baseball vs. FSU in College World Series
Moore’s cycle was the sixth in Tennessee history.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
#Tennessee #baseball #walks #College #World #Series #opener #Dylan #Dreiling #hit,
#Tennessee #baseball #walks #College #World #Series #opener #Dylan #Dreiling #hit