OMAHA, Neb. − Drew Beam grinned in the Tennessee baseball dugout, leaning over and giving Kirby Connell a friendly high-five.

The Vols pitcher felt pretty great in the middle of the eighth inning − and he should have. Tennessee was in absolute command against North Carolina because Beam turned in one of the starts that has defined his steady career.

Tennessee won again in the College World Series, dropping UNC 6-1 on Sunday at Charles Schwab Field. It is the first time Tennessee has won its first two games in the College World Series in program history. UT hadn't won two games in a CWS since 2001.

The Vols (57-12) play the winner of UNC (48-15) and Florida State (48-16) on Wednesday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN). UNC and FSU play in an elimination game Tuesday (2 p.m., ESPN).

Tennessee has won a program-record 57 wins for the second time in the past three seasons.

Drew Beam was in vintage form

Beam struck out UNC stars Vance Honeycutt and Casey Cook to open the game. He got through the first inning in nine pitches and filled the strike zone from there, throwing 25 of his first 27 pitches for strikes.

The junior was at his best for the first five innings. He departed in the sixth after striking out seven. He allowed one run on four hits and two walks.

Beam got back-to-back strikeouts in the fifth after walking two consecutive batters.

Kavares Tears is smoking baseballs in Omaha

Kavares Tears and Reese Chapman supplied the offense, smoking a three-run homer in the fourth and a solo homer in the fifth, respectively. Tears chipped in an RBI double in the eighth to continue his hot start to the CWS.

Tears hit a two-run homer against Florida State on Friday and the ninth-inning triple that started UT's comeback.

Kirby Connell made sure Tennessee baseball's lead held

Connell entered for Beam in a sixth-inning pinch. UNC had two runners on with no outs after back-to-back singles followed a Honeycutt home run.

Connell got a groundout on one pitch. He picked off UNC's Anthony Donofrio, firing to first baseman Blake Burke who threw to shortstop Dean Curley for the second out. The senior ended the inning without harm by striking out Gavin Gallaher.

Connell struck out two in two innings and allowed one hit.

LIGHT: Meet Carlee Beam, the brightest light at Tennessee baseball's Lindsey Nelson Stadium

Tennessee keeps making home run history

Tears' three-run homer gave him 20 this season. He is the fourth Vol to hit at least 20 homers, which made the Vols the second team in NCAA history to have four players with 20 more homers. Alabama accomplished the feat in 1997.

Tennessee never had more than one player hit 20 or more homers in a season prior to this year.

The Vols have 177 homers this season, including four in the CWS.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball beats North Carolina to start College World Series 2-0