OMAHA, Neb. — The Tennessee Volunteers haven’t lost consecutive games since succumbing at Alabama in the middle of March.
Doing so now would end their season.
Texas A&M used a five-run third inning to break free for a 9-5 victory in the College World Series best-of-three championship series opener Saturday night before 26,498 fans at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The Vols, who are seeking their first national championship in baseball and their first in any sport since winning the 2009 crown in women’s indoor track, now must win Sunday’s second game, which is set for 2 p.m. Eastern on ABC.
A triumph by the top-seeded Vols (58-13) would force a third contest Monday night. One more win by the No. 3 Aggies (53-13), who are 9-0 in this year’s NCAA tournament, would result in Texas A&M’s first national title in the sport.
“I thought we played we really well, for the most part, and we got a lot of timely hits and had some really good at-bats against some really good pitchers,” Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “It’s one win, and we can’t make it anything more than that. We still have a ballgame to win and a series to win.