Jay Abernathy threw out the tying run at left in the sixth inning, Cannon Peebles followed it up with a two-run home run in the seventh and Tennessee ended the Astros Foundation College Classic with a 5-1 win over Arizona at Daikin Park in Houston on Sunday.

The No. 3 Vols (11-0), who beat Oklahoma State and Rice in the previous two games, ran into their most significant challenge of the weekend against Wildcats (7-4), trailing early and clinging to a one-run lead for three innings.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

The back-to-back sequences orchestrated by Abernathy in left field and Peebles at the plate, were the difference.

Tennessee’s lineup accounted for 12 hits, and Andrew Fischer and Levi Clark hit consecutive solo home runs to put the Vols ahead for good in the fourth before Peebles provided the cushion.

Freshman right-handed pitcher Tegan Kuhns made his first career start, but it was Nate Snead out of the bullpen that was the headliner. He struck out three and allowed four hits in 3.2 scoreless innings, while Brandon Arvidson, Dylan Loy and Ryan Combs had strong relief outings to maintain the Vols’ lead.

Arvidson (1-0) earned the win for Tennessee.

Tegan Kuhns got off to a good start in his debut.

After Smith Bailey went 1-2-3 in the top of the first, Khuns followed suit, striking out the leadoff batter looking on a 94 MPH fastball before a couple of ground outs ended the inning scoreless.

Arizona got two hits in the second, the first a Adnoys Guzman double to the wall in center that was followed by Easton Breyfogle‘s RBI triple to put the Wildcats up 1-0 and give the Vols their first deficit of the weekend.

Kuhns was able to limit the damage there and strand a runner in scoring position, and Jay Abernathy singled through the right side with two outs for Tennessee’s first hit in the third.

Abernathy moved over to second by way of an error, but the Vols were unable to take advantage of it as Bailey got out of the inning with another strikeout.

Brandon Arvidson took over for Khuns in the third and delivered. He gave up a walk, but tossed three strikeouts, two swinging and one looking to strand a runner.

Tennessee’s lineup paid it off in the fourth. After two quick outs from Bailey, Andrew Fischer homered to right to draw the Vols even, then Levi Clark added to his impressive freshman campaign with another to left to put Tennessee up, 2-1.

Arvidson remained efficient in his short outing. He got two more outs in the fourth before Nate Snead entered. Snead allowed a walk, but kept the Vols ahead through four with his first strikeout.

Manny Marin led off the fifth with a single to left, then tried to get into scoring position during the next at-bat. He was thrown out in the process, and Tennessee came away empty-handed in the inning.

Arizona tried to get something going in the bottom fifth with Brendan Summerhill on first after drawing a walk. He pulled off a successful steal attempt after Cannon Peebles was unable to get a handle on the ball in the third.

Peebles got him back in the fifth, gunning a throw to Gavin Kilen at second to end the inning with the Vols still in front.

Tennessee threatened to add to its lead in the sixth, getting two on off of bloopers from Curley and Ensley, but Clark flied out to deep center to keep it a one-run game heading into the bottom half.

Arizona carried the momentum of getting out of that jam but putting the Vols in one with two on off of two hits and two outs when Guzman stepped up to the plate.

He singled through the left side and Garen Caulfield rounded third. His attempt at a game-tying run wasn’t even close. Abernathy fielded the ball in left and threw him out by about six steps to again get Tennessee out of trouble without any damage.

Not getting that run across haunted the Wildcats in the seventh. Cannon Peebles mashed a home run into the upper deck in right that scored two runs and swelled the Vols’ lead to 4-1.

Snead held Arizona off again in the bottom seventh and Dylan Loy did the same in the in the eighth. Tennessee added some insurance in the ninth off of a Kilen single to right that paid off runners on the corners and scored Abernathy to lead 5-1 with no outs.

The Vols went to Ryan Combs to finish it off and he did, sitting the Wildcats down in order in their last go-around to keep Tennessee unbeaten.

Tennessee will play two midweek games before its final non-conference series this weekend.

The Vols host Radford and Xavier in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, with both games slated for 6 p.m. ET starts on SEC Network+ at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Tennessee then plays St. Bonventure in a three-game series beginning Friday in its last tune-up series before opening SEC play against No. 8 Florida the following week.