SCORE: Tennessee 3, Arkansas 4 | FINAL (Arkansas leads Super Regional 1-0)

***SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE AT-BAT BY AT-BAT FEED***

No. 14 Tennessee baseball (46-17, 16-14 SEC) is set to battle the No. 3 Arkansas Razorbacks (46-13, 20-10 SEC) Friday in game one of the Fayetteville Super Regional.

First pitch in Baum Walker Stadium is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPN. Tom Hart, Chris Burke and Kyle Peterson will be calling the game.

For a full preview of the Super Regional including a prediction, click HERE.

Tennessee enters the game coming off a 3-1 record in its Knoxville Regional win. The Razorbacks swept the Fayetteville Regional with two dominant wins over Creighton and a dominant win over North Dakota State.

The Vols picked up a pair of convincing wins over Miami (OH) and Cincinnati in the first two games of the regional before splitting two games against Wake Forest. Tennessee dropped Sunday’s game 7-6 before beating the Demon Deacons 11-5 in the deciding game seven.

Liam Doyle was tremendous in a relief outing to help lead Tennessee to the game seven win, and the offense, led by Manny Marin and Andrew Fischer, did its part.

As a result, the Vols earned the opportunity to travel to Arkansas and battle the Hogs, who are the top seed remaining in the NCAA Tournament after 1-seed Vanderbilt and 2-seed Texas did not make it out of their respective regionals.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY: Best of Arkansas Sports Andrew Hutchinson Previews Tennessee-Arkansas Super Regional Series

Tennessee will be going with a different pitching plan than normal in the Super Regional. Due to the fact that Liam Doyle threw 31 pitches Monday, Marcus Phillips will start game one of the Super.

Expect Liam Doyle to start Sunday’s game at 2 p.m. ET (ESPN).

PITCHING PLAN: Tennessee Baseball Announces Starting Pitching Plan For Super Regional At Arkansas

Arkansas is the better team than Tennessee, but the Vols are playing the best they have all season. If the starting pitching is elite against the Hogs, Tennessee should be in a good position with the way the Vols’ offense has been playing.

Additionally, Tennessee saw Arkansas ace Zach Root well last time the two faced off. The Razorbacks beat Tennessee in two-of-three games three weeks ago in the final series of the regular season. The Vols won game one behind a quality Marcus Phillips start and elite offensive showing before dropping game two due to a rare Liam Doyle dud.

The Vols lost game three of the series in a blowout.

Arkansas is favored to win the series. But if all things click for Tennessee and the Vols don’t shoot themselves in the foot with ugly mistakes, they can certainly take the series.

However, Tennessee is much more likely to win the series in two games compared to three with the way UT has fared in game threes of series so far this season.

Prediction: Tennessee wins game one

Opponent Scout

Injury/Availability Notes

• Tanner Wiggins and Alberto Osuna will not play for the remainder of the season. Osuna has been ineligible all season long and Wiggins is recovering from a mouth injury after getting hit by a foul ball in the Kentucky series.

TRANSCRIPT: What Tennessee HC Tony Vitello Said Before Super Regional Series With Arkansas

For all of RTI’s baseball coverage so far this season, including Tennessee’s betting odds to win the series, click here.

For the latest RTI Diamond Pass podcast previewing the Fayetteville Super Regional and recapping the Knoxville Regional, click HERE.

---

Lineups, pitching matchup and additional pre-game notes are below, followed by the LIVE at-bat by at-bat game thread.

TENNESSEE STARTING NINE: 

SS Gavin Kilen (L)

1B Andrew Fischer (L)

CF Hunter Ensley (R)

LF Dalton Bargo (L)

2B Dean Curley (R)

RF Reese Chapman (L)

DH Levi Clark (R)

C Stone Lawless (R)

3B Manny Marin (R)

Lineup Notes:

• Stone Lawless gets the catcher start with Cannon Peebles suspended for one game.
  • Peebles was ejected in game seven of the Knoxville Regional against Wake Forest for saying something to Wake’s catcher.
  • Peebles will return to the lineup for Sunday’s game.

ARKANSAS STARTING NINE: 

LF Charles Davalan (L)

SS Wehiwa Aloy (R)

RF Logan Maxwell (L)

C Ryder Helfrick (R)

2B Cam Kozeal (L)

DH Kuhio Aloy (R)

3B Brent Iredale (R)

1B Reese Robinett (L)

CF Justin Thomas Jr. (R)

Pitching Matchup:

Vols Jr. RHP Marcus Phillips (4-4, 3.71 ERA, 16 app., 16 starts, 1 SV, 77.2 IP, 67 H, 41 R, 32 ER, 32 BB, 93 K, 25 XBH, .229 opp. batting avg., 1.27 WHIP)

vs.

Razorbacks Jr. LHP Zach Root (7-5, 3.78 ERA, 16 app., 16 starts, 1 CG, 85.2 IP, 76 H, 42 R, 36 ER, 29 BB, 113 K, 28 XBH, .232 opp. batting avg., 1.23 WHIP)

Pitching Notes:

• Phillips starts in game one over Liam Doyle. The familiarity with Stone Lawless and the fact Liam Doyle pitched on Monday are the most significant reasons why Phillips is starting game one.
  • Doyle will start Sunday’s game.
• Root is Arkansas’ ace. Tennessee saw him well last time (7 H, 4 R in 3.2 IP)

Uniforms

Tennessee: Smokey Greys

Arkansas: All whites with red caps

---

*NOTES*

• There is NO run-rule in the NCAA Tournament.
• Tennessee is the AWAY team today.

---

GAME THREAD

1st Inning: 

T1

-Gavin Kilen grounds out to 2B.

-Andrew Fischer flies out to CF at the warning track.

-Hunter Ensley strikes out looking.

• Super quick 6-pitch inning for Root. Kilen and Fischer’s at-bats were one pitch each.

END OF TOP HALF

B1

-Charles Davalan is walked on four pitches.

-Wehiwa Aloy flies out to RF.

Davalan steals second.

• Nice throw from Stone just didn’t quite get there in time.

-Logan Maxwell singles to SS.

• Kilen tried to make a great diving catch, got the glove on it, but couldn’t complete the catch. Davalan stays at second.

-Ryder Helfrick grounds into a 6-4-3 inning-ending double play.

• Routine but nice job from Kilen and Curley to execute the play. Tennessee gets out of the inning.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Razorbacks 0

2nd Inning: 

T2

-Dalton Bargo strikes out looking.

• 1-2 pitch at the same location the 0-2 pitch that was called a ball.

-Dean Curley grounds out to SS.

-Reese Chapman grounds out to 2B.

• Hard-hit ball. Second baseman couldn’t corral it at first but was able to make the play in the end.
• 13-pitch inning for Root. He’s at 19.

END OF TOP HALF

B2

-Cam Kozeal singles up the middle.

-Kuhio Aloy reaches on an infield single to 3B. Kozeal to second.

• Slow roller down the 3B line. Marin didn’t even attempt the throw.

-Brent Iredale strikes out looking.

Tennessee dugout issued a warning. Likely for Frank Anderson who was unhappy with an 0-1 ball call. 

-Reese Robinett grounds out to 1B unassisted. Kozeal and Aloy advance.

Kozeal scores on a wild pitch. Aloy to third on the wild pitch.

• Stone should’ve thrown to Phillips once he retrieved the ball. Kozeal still may have beat it but it would’ve been close. Phillips was slow covering home but Stone was never making it there himself.

-Justin Thomas Jr. strikes out swinging.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Razorbacks 1

3rd Inning: 

T3

-Levi Clark grounds out to 2B.

-Stone Lawless grounds out to SS.

• Nice play by Aloy & Robinett. Was hit deep into the hole.

-Manny Marin flies out to RF.

• 9 up, 9 down for Root on 29 pitches (23 strikes). Phenomenal outing thus far.

END OF TOP HALF

B3

-Charles Davalan slaps a single to right field.

-Wehiwa Aloy strikes out swinging on three pitches.

• Phillips made the SEC Player of the Year look silly during that at-bat.

-Logan Maxwell smacks a single up the middle. Davalan to second.

Frank Anderson calls a mound meeting.

-Ryder Helfrick hit by a pitch (3-1).

• Bases loaded with one out for Cam Kozeal

-Cam Kozeal grounds into a 6-3 double play. Helfrick out at second.

• Nice play by Gavin Kilen. Monumental play for the game.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Razorbacks 1

4th Inning: 

T4

-Gavin Kilen grounds out to 2B.

-Andrew Fischer strikes out swinging.

• Fischer was ahead in the count 3-1. Took two massive swing-and-misses back-to-back to strike out. Baum-Walker gets loud afterward.

-Hunter Ensley flies out to RF at the warning track.

• Little more drama that inning but yet another 1-2-3 frame for Root. He’s retired all 12 hitters he’s faced.

END OF TOP HALF

B4

-Kuhio Aloy grounds out to 1B unassisted.

-Brent Iredale knocks a single to left-center.

-Reese Robinett strikes out swinging.

Iredale steals second.

• Poor throw from Lawless. Nice jumping catch by Dean Curley to prevent it from going into the outfield.

-Justin Thomas Jr. grounds out to SS.

• Throw wasn’t great from Kilen but just barely makes it in time.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 0, Razorbacks 1

5th Inning: 

T5

-Dalton Bargo reaches on a fielding error by 1B.

• Reese Robinett drops a line drive allowing Bargo to reach. First baserunner for Tennessee today.

-Dean Curley hammers a two-run homer to left-center.

• 393 feet, 101 mph
• 14th HR of the season for Curley. Massive. First hit of the day for Tennessee.

-Reese Chapman strikes out swinging.

-Levi Clark grounds out to P.

• Hard-hit ball right to Root’s glove.

-Stone Lawless strikes out looking.

END OF TOP HALF

B5

-Charles Davalan grounds out to 1B unassisted.

• First time Davalan has been retired today.

-Wehiwa Aloy grounds out to SS.

• Nice play by Kilen to back-hand the hard-hit ball. Also threw a rope to first to finish the play.

-Logan Maxwell is walked on four pitches.

-Ryder Helfrick ropes a two-run homer to left field.

• 313 feet, 84 mph
• Just got over the fence into the Tennessee bullpen. Wallscraper. Wind blowing out and to the left.

-Cam Kozeal strikes out looking.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Razorbacks 3

6th Inning: 

T6

-Manny Marin flies out to RF.

-Gavin Kilen works a walk.

• Root got squeezed a bit during that at-bat.
• Kilen came back from being down 0-2.

-Andrew Fischer grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.

• Zach Root pointed and yelled at Andrew Fischer the entire time as he walked off the field. Tony Vitello stormed out of the dugout and onto the field in anger. Both teams were issued warnings.

END OF TOP HALF

B6

-Kuhio Aloy grounds out to P.

• Nice play by Phillips.

-Brent Iredale singles through the left side.

*Pitching change: So. LHP Dylan Loy (4-0, 3.98 ERA) on to pitch for Phillips*

-Reese Robinett singles through the right side. Iredale to second.

• Ate up Curley. A play he should have made.

*Pitching change: Fr. RHP Brayden Krenzel (3-0, 4.45 ERA) on to pitch for Loy*

-Justin Thomas Jr. lines out to RF in right-center.

• Great read off the bat from Chapman. Catches a hard-hit ball with an awkward flight path in right-center.

*Pitching change: So. LHP Brandon Arvidson (2-0, 4.34 ERA) on to pitch for Krenzel*

-Charles Davalan delivers an RBI single to left-center. Iredale scores. Robinett to third.

-Wehiwa Aloy flies out to RF at the wall.

• Great jumping catch by Reese on a rocket. Don’t think it would’ve gotten over but definitely would’ve scored one if not two.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Razorbacks 4

7th Inning: 

T7

-Hunter Ensley strikes out swinging.

-Dalton Bargo grounds out to 1B unassisted.

-Dean Curley is walked on four pitches.

-Reese Chapman lines out to LF.

END OF TOP HALF

B7

-Logan Maxwell grounds out to C on a bunt.

-Ryder Helfrick strikes out looking.

-Cam Kozeal grounds out to 2B.

• First 1-2-3 inning for Tennessee.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Razorbacks 4

8th Inning: 

T8

-Levi Clark strikes out looking.

-Stone Lawless grounds out to 3B.

-Manny Marin flies out to LF.

END OF TOP HALF 

B8

*Pitching change: Jr. RHP Tanner Franklin (1-2, 5.06 ERA) on to pitch for Arvidson*

-Kuhio Aloy grounds out to 1B unassisted.

-Brent Iredale strikes out looking.

-Reese Robinett grounds out to P.

• Hard-hitball ricocheted off Franklin’s glove. Was able to recover pick up the ball and get the out.

END OF BOTTOM HALF

Score: Vols 2, Razorbacks 4

9th Inning: 

T9

-Gavin Kilen fouls out to LF.

-Andrew Fischer crushes a solo homer to right field.

• 344 feet, 108 mph.
• Fischer’s 25th HR of the season.

-Hunter Ensley grounds out to SS.

Warnings issued to both sides… again.

-Dalton Bargo strikes out swinging.

END OF TOP HALF

Score: Vols 3, Razorbacks 4

END OF GAME

FINAL: Tennessee Vols 3, Arkansas Razorbacks 4