Hunter Ensley's acrobatic slide was the talk of the game
The Tennessee Volunteers held off the Texas A&M Aggies in Game 3 to win their first Men’s College World Series title in its history on Monday night, 6-5.
The Aggies put pressure on the Volunteers in the ninth inning, scoring one run with two outs. But Tennessee pitcher Aaron Combs struck out infielder Ted Burton to end the game.
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Tennessee's Hunter Ensley (9) slides safely to home past Texas A&M’s Jackson Appel (20) 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. (Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)
Tennessee started the game with a Christian Moore home run, which got Vols fans in Omaha up out of their seats. Peyton Manning and Morgan Wallen were even spotted hugging each other as they hoped for a victory.
Texas A&M tied the game when Gavin Grahovac singled to score Travis Chestnut in the second inning. Tennessee responded with a Dylan Dreiling sacrifice fly and a Dean Curley RBI single.
Dreiling, who had a heroic effort in Game 2, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Kavares Tears’s RBI double then made it 6-1. The game was going Tennessee’s way but Texax A&M started to make its comeback in the eighth inning.
Tennessee starting pitcher Zander Sechrist throws against Texas A&M in the first inning of Game 3 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
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Two runs in the eighth inning and two runs in the ninth made Vols fans sweat.
But once Combs struck out Burton, it was pure jubilation.
Dreiling, Tears, Curley, Hunter Ensley and Blake Burke each had two hits in the win. Ensley stunned the audience with his ability to get around a tag on a play at the plate to score in the seventh.
.@HunterEnsley AVOIDS THE TAG 😱#MCWS #SCTop10 x 🎥 ESPN / @Vol_Baseball pic.twitter.com/xskw17vsut
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 25, 2024
Tennessee’s Zander Sechrist got the start for the Vols. He lasted 5.1 innings and he struck out seven batters.
The Volunteers were last a runner-up in the College World Series final in 1951. Oklahoma beat them 3-2 that year.
Texas A&M starting pitcher Justin Lamkin, center, wipes his brow as he meets on the mound with catcher Jackson Appel, left, and assistant coach Max Weiner, right, after walking a Tennessee batter in the first inning of Game 3 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals in Omaha, Neb., Monday, June 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
About 73 years later, Tennessee is bringing a title back home to Knoxville.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
