Tennessee's clutch home run against Vanderbilt in the bottom of the ninth inning.
FeaturedNCAABy Reice Shipley on

The No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers faced off against the No. 4 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday in a game that certainly had a flair for the dramatic.

Vanderbilt nearly took home the victory, but an opportune home run when it mattered most for Tennessee completely shifted the momentum of the game.

Vanderbilt went into the bottom of the with a 3-1 lead. However, the lead would not last long.

Tennessee outfielder Kavares Tears quickly made it a one-run game with a leadoff home run to spark a rally.

Vanderbilt relief pitcher Nick Maldonado then quickly got back on track striking out the next two hitters. This presented Tennessee with one last chance to send this game to extra innings.

The Volunteers would send in a pinch-hitter, freshman outfielder Dylan Dreiling, to try and save the day. Maldonado got him down to his final strike in the at-bat, but Dreiling emphatically tied the game with an unbelievably clutch home run to extend the game.

This got nearly all of the Volunteers out of the dugout and got the fans in attendance off their feet. It turned out to be the difference maker in the game. Tennessee outfielder Griffin Merritt would end up sending the fans home happy in Knoxville with a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the 12th inning.

It was a massive win for Tennessee, and many around the college baseball world credited both Dylan Dreiling and Griffin Merritt for their timely hitting that made the difference in this game.

This is a huge win for Tennessee and a very good start to this three-game series against Vanderbilt.

[Tennessee Baseball on Twitter] Photo Credit: ESPN+

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

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