FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 14 Tennessee’s season came to an end on Sunday afternoon with an 11-4 loss to No. 3 Arkansas in game two of the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional at Baum-Walker Stadium.
A five-run fourth inning from the Razorbacks proved to be the difference as the Volunteers were unable to dig themselves out of a six-run hole.
Tennessee starter Liam Doyle fell to 10-4 on the year after pitching just 3.2 innings while allowing five runs on five hits. The junior lefthander and Golden Spikes Award finalist had six strikeouts to add to his single season program record and finish with 164 for the year.
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the third, the Vols (46-19) had a chance to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the inning after loading the bases with three consecutive singles from Cannon Peebles, Manny Marin and Gavin Kilen to start the frame but were only able to scratch across one run after the next two batters grounded into a double play and flied out to center field.
Arkansas (48-13) carried that momentum into its big fourth inning that changed the course of the game. Cam Kozeal scored on a wild pitch to open the scoring in the frame and Logan Maxwell provided the big swing with a two-out grand slam that barely cleared the left-field fence and landed in the UT bullpen to make it 7-1.
Things continued to get away from the Big Orange in the seventh inning as the Razorbacks tacked on three more runs to increase their lead to nine and effectively end any hope of a UT comeback.
Cole Gibler tossed 2.2 innings of shutout relief for the Hogs, allowing just one hit while striking out four to earn the win. Starter Gage Wood did well to hold the Vols’ bats in check in the early portion of the game, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over 3.1 innings of work.
In an otherwise disappointing day for the pitching staff, junior righthander AJ Russell put together another successful relief appearances, allowing one run on just one hit over 2.1 innings. Sophomore lefty Dylan Loy was also effective in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen, allowing a run on two hits.
Tennessee’s offense struggled for the majority of the day but showed some life in the later innings and finished with eight hits. Kilen finished with a single, a walk and a run scored while Dean Curley added an RBI single in the eighth inning.
Freshman pinch hitters Chris Newstrom and Jay Abernathy didn’t let UT go down without throwing one finally punch and accounted for the Vols final two runs of the game. Newstrom doubled to left center field before scoring on a mammoth 429-foot homer off the videoboard by Abernathy a few batters later, his first long ball of his collegiate career.
Redshirt senior Hunter Ensley also had a base hit in what was the final game of his unforgettable Tennessee career that included four combined SEC titles, three trips to Omaha and the program’s first national title.
Andrew Fischer had a single and also drew a walk in his first at-bat to finish the year having reached base in all 65 contest. The walk was his 63rd of the season, which tied Chase Headley’s single-season program record set back in 2005.
Another 40-Win Season Under Vitello
Despite Sunday’s season-ending loss, it was another successful season under the guidance of head coach Tony Vitello, who led the Volunteers to their sixth consecutive 40-win season (not including 2020 COVID year) and fifth straight super regional, both of which are the longest streaks in program history.
Including this year, Tennessee, Arkansas and Southern Miss are the only three programs in the country to reach the 40-win mark in each of the last six full seasons.
