University Southern California Trojans
Tennessee Thumps Georgia, 19-12
June 11, 2001 | Baseball
June 11, 2001
By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Chris Burke hit a go-ahead inside-the-park home run in the eighth inning as Tennessee outslugged and outlasted Georgia 19-12 in a College World Series elimination game Monday.
Kris Bennett drove in a series record-tying seven runs with a series-record six hits, including a home run, and Javi Herrera homered and had four RBIs for Tennessee (47-19). Brian Gates (6-4) allowed one unearned run and two hits in four innings of relief to pick up the win for the Vols, who scored 13 runs in a loss to Miami on Saturday.
David Coffey had three hits, including a grand slam, and four RBIs for Georgia (47-22), which had beaten its Southeastern Conference rivals in three regular season meetings.
Burke's home run, his 20th of the season, sparked a five-run inning for the Vols, who advanced to Tuesday night's elimination game against the loser of Monday night's Southern California-Miami game.
With the game tied at 11, Burke led off the eighth with a long shot to center field off Jeffery Carswell (10-2). Kris Edge backpedalled and appeared to be under the ball, but it went over his glove and rolled away from him as he crashed into the wall.
Burke, who had the first inside-the-park homer in the College World Series since Oklahoma's Chip Glass in 1994, was running full speed and easily beat the throw home from right fielder Adam Swann.
Carswell then got two outs, but Jeff Christensen singled, Bennett hit an RBI double, Justin Parker an RBI single and Herrera a two-run homer to make it 16-11. Carswell allowed five runs and five hits in one inning.
The Bulldogs got a run in the eighth when Edge scored on a wild pitch by Gates. Stevie Daniel added an RBI single, Brandon Hopkins an RBI triple and Bennett an RBI single in the ninth to make it 19-12.
With Tennessee trailing 11-9, the Vols tied it with two runs in the seventh on RBI groundouts by Parker and Herrera.
The Vols took a 4-0 lead in the first on an RBI double by Christensen, consecutive RBI singles by Bennett and Parker, and a sacrifice fly by Herrera.
Tennessee added two more in the third on Bennett's homer off Georgia starter Brandon Moorhead, who allowed eight runs - six earned - and eight hits in four innings.
But the Bulldogs fought back with five runs in the third. Jeff Keppinger hit a two-run homer, his ninth in 10 NCAA tournament games. Mark Thornhill hit a two-run single and Tony Burchett added a sacrifice fly to make it 6-5.
Georgia's Doc Brooks hit his 45th career homer, tying a school record, in the fourth, a two-run shot off Patrick Hicklen to give the Bulldogs a 7-5 lead.
Tennessee reclaimed the lead with three runs on four consecutive hits in the fifth to take a 9-7 lead.
The Bulldogs regained the lead 11-9 on Coffey's first career grand slam in the fifth off Hicklen.
Hicklen, who left after the fifth, tied Ben McDonald's record for most earned runs allowed in a game with 11. He gave up 12 hits, struck out two and walked three.
