No. 22 Tennessee baseball (17-7, 3-3 SEC) downed Missouri (16-8, 1-5 SEC) 7-1 in Sunday’s series rubber match to win its first SEC series of the season.
Evan Blanco cruised in a career-high 7.2 innings of work while Levi Clark provided a crucial two-run homer.
The series win marks Tennessee’s first against an SEC opponent since April 11-13, 2025 against Ole Miss on the road, snapping a six-series streak.
It’s Tennessee’s first SEC series win at home since March 14-16 against Florida to open conference play last season.
It also ends Tennessee’s seven-game losing streak in rubber matches dating back to last year.
Here’s how it happened as Tennessee improved to .500 in SEC play.
Tennessee Strikes First Thanks to Poor Defense
Missouri made a pair of costly defensive mistakes in the opening frame allowing Tennessee to draw first blood.
After Henry Ford worked a one-out walk, Blaine Brown sent an easy double play ball to the second baseman, but Eric Maisonet booted it and was able to only get Ford out at second.
Reese Chapman then singled to put runners on the corners with two outs, and Brown and Chapman pulled off a double steal to put a run on the board.
However, Chapman and UT head coach Josh Elander said after the game the plan was to do a steal-stop, not a double steal.
“It was supposed to be a steal-stop,” Elander said. “There was a position there where we thought we had a chance to take both bags, try to bait them into a throw, and we got lucky there. It was a great jump by Blaine. He executed it, and something we’ll handle internally to make sure we’re a little more buttoned-up, but we got away with one right there.”
Chapman’s plan was to purposefully get caught in a pickle in hopes Brown would score before he was tagged out. But ultimately, Chapman reached second safely on a normal steal attempt, resulting in a successful double steal.
Levi Clark Homer Gives Tennessee Comfortable Lead
Chapman helped Tennessee put runs on the board again in the fourth, recording a leadoff double. Garrett Wright singled to put runners on the corners with no outs before Stone Lawless sent a sac fly to center.
Levi Clark then provided the big moment for Tennessee, launching a two-run homer barely over the right-field wall.
Clark’s second blast of the season traveled 336 feet and marked his first long ball since the series finale against Nicholls on opening weekend.
With Tennessee starting pitcher Evan Blanco shoving on the mound, Clark’s homer was massive in Tennessee’s ability to take control of Sunday’s rubber match.
More From RTI: LIVE Updates, Score, Notes: No. 22 Tennessee Baseball vs. Missouri Game Three
Blanco on Cruise Control
Sunday starter Evan Blanco has been great the first time through the lineup this season and above-average two times through.
He was dominant three times through and then some Sunday against Missouri.
Blanco did not allow multiple baserunners in any inning through the first five frames, logging a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the first and fifth. Through the first five innings, Blanco allowed one hit and two walks while dealing five strikeouts.
Blanco was hyper efficient as well, needing just 54 pitches to get through the lineup twice in five frames, including eight-pitch innings in the first and fifth and a nine-pitch second inning.
The senior finally got tagged in the sixth when Mizzou right fielder Pierre Seals drilled a two-out solo homer to left field.
After a single followed Seals’ homer, Blanco got back into a groove, retiring his next six batters. The Virginia transfer logged his third 1-2-3 inning in the seventh on seven pitches, giving him four single-digit-pitch innings in the contest.
Blanco’s career-best outing came to an end in the eighth after allowing a two-out single. The Massachusetts native allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out five in a career-high 7.2 IP on 84 pitches. Fans in attendance at Lindsey Nelson Stadium gave a loud standing ovation as Blanco exited the contest.
“He was so good today,” Elander said about Blanco’s outing. “It was just good to see him really settle in, and they were hacking from first pitch, trying to get after him, but he just did a good job of mixing speeds and really filling it up. And really, the only blemish was (Pierre) Seals landed on one, but we can live with that. If he’s not going to walk guys and not give up free 90 feets, he’s pretty good.
“He was up to 92 (mph), and velo was holding a little bit better. Change(up) was dynamic at times and had both breaking balls going. But just attack, attack, attack, and he put us in a really good position to win the game. It was good to see how he handled everything.”
Vols Add Insurance Run, Bullpen Does Its Job
After the three-spot in the fourth, Tennessee’s offense was non-existent until the seventh.
Lawless roped an RBI double before scoring on a pinch-hit RBI single from Tyler Myatt, giving Myatt two pinch-hit RBI hits in the series.
Lawless was Tennessee’s best bat all weekend, racking up four hits – all for extra bases – and two walks. The Huntsville, Alabama, native finished the series 4-8 at the plate with two RBI.
“He is smashing balls,” Elander said on Lawless. “He’s hitting fastballs well, better than he has last year. He’s laying on breaking balls too, so when you take some walks and also squeeze the strikes on a little bit like he is, it really doesn’t give us a choice. We’re going to have to keep putting him in there.”
Tennessee added to its lead in the eighth when Wright powered a two-run homer to left field after Chapman – who reached base three times Sunday – worked a two-out walk.
Sophomore right-handed Brayden Krenzel relieved Blanco with a man on first and two outs in the seventh. Krenzel hit a batter and fired a wild pitch to the backstop to put runners on second and third, but the Ohio native froze Mizzou centerfielder Kaden Peer with a big strikeout to strand the pair after UT pitching coach Josh Reynolds called a mound meeting.
Krenzel came back out in the ninth and logged a 1-2-3 frame to finish off the Tigers.
“I think Reyn (Josh Reynolds) did a great job there just slowing him down,” Elander said discussing Krenzel’s outing. “The fastball was really good. It’s always going to tick off a little bit. He hits the guy with the breaking ball, so just needs to have conviction with his pitches.
“His stuff is as good as anybody in the conference. And it was nice to see instead of letting that thing snowball and get out of control there real quick – because they’re still one swing away from tying the game at that point – but we have trust in Krenz (Brayden Krenzel). He’s got good stuff. He’s our guy. And it was good to see him take the ball and make the adjustments and get it done. He’s going to do that more for us.”
Up Next
Tennessee returns to action Tuesday in Knoxville against USC Upstate. First pitch is at 6 p.m. ET.
