HOOVER, Ala. — Tennessee trailed by four runs, blew an extra-inning lead and still persevered to defeat Texas 7-5 in 12 innings in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals Thursday evening. Former Texas commit Brandon Arvidson turned in his best inning of the season while Gavin Kilen played hero in extra innings.
Here’s how the Vols got it done in an instant classic.
Texas Starter Ethan Walker Gives Tennessee Issues
Texas starting pitcher had totaled just 6.2 Innings pitched in seven appearances entering Thursday’s SEC Tournament Quarterfinals matchup due to an injury that sidelined him for the first few months of the season. Walker didn’t allow allow a single hit until Dean Curley doubled to left field with one out in the fifth inning.
It was a classic instance that really only happens in baseball. A day after Tennessee totaled 20 hits in a win over Alabama, the soft throwing left-handed pitcher shut the Vols’ lineup down. Tennessee seemingly could never pick up the ball against Walker’s funky low arm slot.
Walker only struck out three Vols but produced plenty of weak contact. When Tennessee got its first baserunner via hit-by pitch in the third inning, they quickly grounded into a double play.
The Vols ran Walker from the game quickly after Curley’s double in the fifth inning. Tennessee pushed Walker from the game shortly after the Curley double and the Vols brought two earned runs home afterward. It still was not a great afternoon from Tennessee’s bats but they responded in solid fashion following the early issues.
Liam Doyle Not Up To His High Standards
Tennessee have the ball to SEC Pitcher of the Year Liam Doyle coming off his worst start of the season last week against Arkansas. Doyle was undoubtedly better than he was the week before against the Razorbacks but also wasn’t up to his usual high standards.
Texas manufactured a first inning run when Ethan Mendonza worked a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a fly out to centerfield and scored on a Kimble Schuessler two-out single to center field.
After a solid second and third inning, things went awry for Doyle in the fourth inning. A leadoff double, wild pitch and sac fly brought the game’s second run home.
The Vols’ ace looked like he would get out of the inning easily after quickly striking out Tommy Farmer for out number two. But then a bunt single, single to left field and Medoza two-RBI triple off the wall in right field ended his day. Doyle’s day was always going to be shorter so his 79 pitches weren’t simply because of his shaky outing.
Credit Texas for battling hard and making life hard on Doyle. The left-handed junior’s two walks in 3.2 innings pitched was perhaps his most worrisome stat. Doyle had just two regular season starts where he offered more than two walks.
More From RTI: Tennessee’s Danny White Named Athletic Director of the Year By Sports Business Journal
Brandon Arvidson Turns In A Phenomenal Performance
Brandon Arvidson started his career at Texas A&M playing for Jim Schlossnagle. He was committed to Texas out of junior college last year before the Longhorns fired David Pierce and hired Schlossnagle to replace him
Facing his old coach, Arvidson was nails out of the bullpen and turned in the best outing of his career. He stranded the runner on third with a strikeout after entering in the fourth inning. Arvidson kept cruising from there, striking out three Texas batters around a one-out walk in the fifth inning and striking out two more batters in a scoreless sixth inning. He totaled three 1-2-3 innings.
It was a season-high 5.1 innings pitched for Arvidson. He was stuck out nine batters while allowing just five runners to reach base.
The left-handed reliever has now put together four straight really strong outings for Tennessee which is highly significant given the bullpens struggles in SEC play.
Things Get Wild In Extras
Tennessee’s offense showed little life to start the 10th inning with Max Grubb retiring the Vols’ bottom two batters to open the inning. But before the inning could end quietly, Gavin Kilen gave Tennessee its first lead of the game with a solo homer to right field.
The Vols looked poised to steal a win late from Texas before things went sideways. Ryan Galvan led off the inning with a single up the middle. Arvidson got ahead of Kimble Schuessler 0-2 before sailing a pick off attempt to first base, allowing Galvan to go from first to third. Schuessler drove him in and ended Arvidson’s day with a single to left field.
Dylan Loy and Nate Snead came in and did a fantastic job getting out of the inning, striking out three of four batters faced.
After escaping a jam in the 11th inning with a line drive double play, Tennessee took the lead in the top of the 12th inning. A Levi Clark walk, Cannon Peebles single and Manny Marin sac bunt set the stage before Kilen drove both home with a double to right-center field.
Box Score
Up Next
Tennessee advances to the SEC Tournament Semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years. They have Friday off before they’ll face either Vanderbilt or Oklahoma at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon. The SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
