No. 2 Texas Baseball rode a stellar relief outing from Tanner Witt to an 8-4 win over Tennessee in a College World Series elimination game at TD Ameritrade Park on Tuesday.
Witt was lights out for 5 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and no free passes. He came out of the bullpen in the fourth to get Texas out of a jam and then allowed just two base runners the rest of the way. He picked up his fifth win of the season to keep the Longhorns alive in the College World Series.
Texas had numerous offensive heroes in the game but maybe the biggest performance was from Eric Kennedy, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Cam Williams and Silas Ardoin each had two RBI apiece. Mike Antico got on base three hits and scored a run as well as stealing his 40th base of the season.
Tennessee opened the scoring with two runs on a single, a double and a walk in the top of the second inning. Starter Tristan Stevens was able to limit the damage to two runs, ending the inning with a strikeout to strand a runner at third.
The Longhorns had a quick response as Kennedy launched Texas into a 3-2 lead with a three-run homer to right field. Ivan Melendez walked to start the inning and Mitch Daly singled to put two runners on but it wasn't until two outs in the inning that Kennedy hit his homer.
The Volunteers loaded the bases with nobody out in the next half inning but Stevens was able to get a clutch 5-2-3 double play to neutralize the threat.
Texas quickly tacked on a run in the third to extend the lead to 4-2. Antico started the inning with a walk, stole second and moved to third on an error. Williams drove him in with an RBI groundout to second base.
Tennessee tied the game up 4-4 in the fourth, getting a one-out walk and back-to-back singles to end Stevens' day on the mound. Witt came out of the bullpen and allowed an RBI single but got a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
The Longhorns battled right back to retake the lead, 7-4, after two walks and three-straight singles. Daly and Douglas Hodo III both walked, then with two outs the Horns went to work. Silas Ardoin lined a single to right field to drive in two runs and Antico followed with another single to put two runners on. Williams capped off the inning with an RBI single to drive in Ardoin from second base.
Kennedy manufactured the final run of the game to extend the Texas lead to 8-4. He singled to right field, moved to second on a groundout, stole third base and scored on a wild pitch.
Texas stays alive at the College World Series and will be back in action on Thursday, June 24 at 6 p.m. against the loser of Tuesday night's matchup between Mississippi State and Virginia.
