Tennessee upsets top-seeded Texas in extra innings, advances to SEC semifinals

Tennessee needed extra innings, but Gavin Kilen’s 2-run double in the bottom of the 12th was the difference as the Volunteeers defeated top-seeded Texas, 7-5, in the SEC Tournament. The Vols will face either 4th-seeded Vanderbilt or 12th-seeded Oklahoma in the semifinals on Saturday.

With 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd, Kilen hammered a ball to deep right center field that came off the glove of a Texas outfielder. That allowed Jay Abernathy and Cannon Peebles to come across for what turned out to be the game-winning runs.

Here’s video of Kilen’s clutch hit:

Texas jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 4 innings, but Tennessee came back with 2 runs in both the 5th and 6th innings. Peebles brought in a pair in the 5th to make it 4-2 before the Vols pushed 2 more across in the 6th via a bases-loaded walk and a sac fly to left.

It remained tied at 4-4 until the 10th, when Kilen gave the Vols the lead for the first time with a solo home run with 2 outs to make it 5-4. But the Longhorns tied it in the bottom half as Kimble Schuessler’s base hit scored Rylan Galvan from 3rd to make it 5-5.

Then, in the 12th, Kilen came through again, and this time, the Vols’ lead would stand as they booked a spot in the semifinals.

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.