COLUMBIA, S.C. – A pair of late-inning home runs by Andrew Fischer and Cannon Peebles propelled No. 1/1 Tennessee to a thrilling 7-5 victory over South Carolina on Saturday afternoon at a sold-out Founders Park.

After three scoreless innings to start the game, Tennessee (25-2, 7-1 SEC) broke the deadlock with a three-run homer by Reese Chapman in the fourth inning. It was Chapman’s eighth long ball of the year and put him in the team lead with 32 RBIs.

South Carolina (17-11, 1-7 SEC) answered by scoring the next four runs of the contest to take a 4-3 lead into the final three innings.

The Big Orange retook the lead on Fischer’s two-out, two-run blast to center field in the top of the eighth. The junior first baseman went on to help turn an impressive 3-6-3 double play in the bottom of the inning to end the frame and keep the Gamecocks from retaking the lead.

Knotted up at five headed into the ninth inning, Peebles provided the game-winning swing, depositing his fourth home run of the season into the USC bullpen in right center to put the Vols ahead 7-5.

UT turned another crucial double play in the bottom of the ninth to help Nate Snead finish off the victory. The junior righthander tossed 3.2 innings of relief to improve to 2-0 on the year after Marcus Phillips gave the Vols another solid start, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out seven batters over five innings of work.  

Win Streaks Extend

Saturday’s series-clinching win marked Tennessee’s sixth straight series victory over South Carolina and also extended UT’s incredible streak of SEC series victories to 12 straight, adding on to the program record.

The six consecutive series wins and six straight victories overall against the Gamecocks are both the most in a row for the Big Orange in the series’ history.  

Clutch In the Late Innings

Thanks to its four runs over the final two frames, the Vols earned their first win of the year when trailing after seven innings.

Up Next

Tennessee will go for the series sweep in Sunday’s series finale, which has been moved up to a noon ET start with the threat of inclement weather later in the day.