For five innings the Tennessee baseball team appeared poised for a second straight win to open the 2009 season. Then the bullpen got involved.

UT relievers combined to allow 11 runs on eight hits and eight walks, while also hitting two batters, as the Volunteers fell to the Oregon State Beavers, 14-4.

"We've got to find out who can do some things," UT head coach Todd Raleigh said. "We've got a better bullpen than that. You can practice it all you want, but until you get out there you don't learn all the way."

Kentrail Davis scored the game's first run to put the Vols in front in the bottom of the first. The sophomore drew a two-out walk and came around to score on Cody Hawn's RBI double.

The Vols tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Davis reached base to lead off the inning when he was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a stolen base and throwing error by the catcher. Josh Liles later singled to drive in the run, but was thrown out attempting to advance to second base on the play.

Tyler Horne, Jeff Lockwood and Blake Forsythe then strung together three straight singles to expand the Vols lead to 3-0.

The Beavers chipped into the lead in the next half inning as Stefen Romero hit a solo home run to deep left field. Romero then doubled in two runs in the following inning to knot the score.

The sixth inning double came after starting pitcher Bryan Morgado exited the game with runners on first and second and one out in the inning. The sophomore lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk. He struck out five batters before being replaced by freshman Matt Ramsey.

Oregon State took its first lead of the game in the seventh inning, but the Vols would not remain behind for long. Davis hit a solo home run, his first of the season, to knot the score with one out in the next half inning.

"They've been walking me a lot, but fortunately I got a good pitch to hit," Davis said. "We battled, but unfortunately our pitchers couldn't get it together."

The Beavers edged back in front with a pair of runs in the eighth as UT reliever Joey Rosas issued a leadoff walk and two base hits. Rosas was credited with the loss for the Vols, while Jorge Reyes pitched three innings in relief to pick up the win for Oregon State.

The lead was increased to 10 runs in the ninth as Vol relievers Steve Crnkovich and Dylan Hochever combined to allow eight runs on three hits, five walks and a hit batter.

The rubber game of the three-game set is scheduled for Sunday at Noon. Junior college transfer Stephen McCray is slated to get his first start for the Vols, while sophomore Greg Peavey is the probable starter for the Beavers.

"It'd be great to win two from them," Davis said. "It would be a big momentum boost for us."