Vols Falter In Extras, Drop Series Finale To LSU

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee let a series slip away on Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, falling 16-6 to LSU after a tie game unraveled in the 12th inning.

The Vols (20-12, 4-8 SEC) raced out to a 5-0 lead with a five-run third inning, which was aided by three Tigers’ errors, and were one strike away from securing a series win, but LSU managed to load the bases and tie the game on an infield single in the top of the ninth to force extra innings. 

After a scoreless 10th inning, the Bayou Bengals took a one-run lead in the top of the 11th on Cade Arrambide’s third solo home run of the game, but the Big Orange were able to respond in the bottom half of the inning with a leadoff single from Blaine Brown, who came around the score a few batters later on a sacrifice fly to deep center field by Levi Clark, which was a few feet from being a walkoff home run. 

Unfortunately for UT, things completely unraveled in the top of the 12th, as LSU scored 10 runs on seven hits, including a grand slam by Arrambide for his fourth long ball of the day.

Tennessee’s five-run third happened in large part due to three errors from the Tigers. Brown made LSU pay for those miscues later in the inning, launching his second career grand slam over the wall in center field, giving the Orange and White a five-run lead after three. 

Evan Blanco turned in another solid start for the Volunteers on Sunday, going 6.1 innings while striking out six and allowing just two runs to give his squad a chance to win the series. 

The Tigers scored their first run of the game in the top of the fifth inning on Arrambide’s first homer of the day, and two innings later, they would add three more with back-to-back-to-back solo jacks from John Pearson, Arrambide and Seth Dardar to cut the deficit to just one run with two innings to play. 

After loading the bases with two singles and a hit-by-pitch in the top of the ninth, LSU scored the game-tying run on a Jake Brown dribbler to second base that resulted in everyone being safe. One batter later, reliever Brandon Arvidson got a big strikeout to strand the bases loaded and keep the game tied at five heading into the bottom of the ninth, but the Vols were unable to get to the finish line in extras. 

UP NEXT: Tennessee will be back in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Lindsey Nelson Stadium as they host Northern Kentucky for a midweek matchup before heading to Mississippi State for a three-game set next weekend in Starkville.