Tennessee never trailed in the game’s first nine innings but was unable to get the 27th out of the game as LSU took the series rubber match 16-6 in 12 innings on Easter Sunday in Knoxville.
Despite more terrible LSU defense, Tennessee was unable to generate much offense and dropped its third Sunday game in four SEC series. Here’s how it happened.
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Tennessee Takes Advantage Of LSU Miscues
For the second straight day, LSU made costly defensive mistakes that Tennessee capitalized on. In the third inning of the series rubber match, the mistakes were jarring because of how simple they were.
After Garrett Wright doubled with one-out, Reese Chapman hit a routine ground ball to second base. Seth Dardar’s throw was low but right in Zach Yorke’s glove and the first baseman dropped it which gave Tennessee runners on the corners with one-out.
Henry Ford brought Wright home from third with a sac fly into foul territory in right field, giving Tennessee a 1-0 lead.
After LSU intentionally walked Blake Grimmer, the Tigers made a defensive miscue nearly as bad. Manny Marin chopped a 1-2 pitch to shortstop Derek Curiel and second baseman Seth Dardar dropped his throw allowing Tennessee to load the bases.
Blaine Brown, who largely struggled over the course of the weekend, made LSU pay by hitting a 388 foot grand slam to center field. Tennessee scored five runs on just two hits, one walk and two errors in the third inning.
Evan Blanco Bounced Back From Struggles At Vanderbilt
Evan Blanco has been one of Tennessee’s most consistent pitchers this season which made it so surprising Vanderbilt shelled him for six earned runs in three innings last week in Nashville. But Blanco bounced back in impressive fashion against LSU.
The left-handed pitcher mostly cruised against the Tigers, allowing just two runs on four hits and two walks in 6.1 innings pitched.
LSU did its damage off Blanco with a pair of home runs but they were both just solo homers. Blanco exited with Tennessee leading 5-2. The Vols will take 6.1 innings of two-run baseball from Blanco every Sunday.
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Tennessee’s Offense Did Nothing After The Third Inning
Following Brown’s homer, LSU reliever Zac Cowan retired Trent Grindlinger to end the inning. It was the first of 12 straight batters Cowan retired as the Vols’ offense was largely lifeless.
Tennessee didn’t get another baserunner until there was two outs in the seventh inning when Wright grinded out a long at-bat and reached second on a fielding error. The Vols were unable to take advantage this time when a Henry Ford fly ball settled just short of the wall in left field.
After the game went to the bottom of the ninth and 10th innings tied, Tennessee sent the minimum to the plate and LSU RHP Gavin Guidry retired them on 11 total pitches.
For the game, Tennessee totaled just five hits, three walks and two hit batters. Getting baserunners was rare especially if LSU wasn’t committing errors.
Tennessee Could Not Get The Final Out
LSU hit back-to-back homers off Brady Frederick in the seventh inning to pull within one run before Brandon Arvidson came in and steadied the ship. He retired the first five batters he faced before a pinch hitting Mason Braun singled to lead off the ninth inning.
But even after that, Arvidson retired the next two batters he faced to get an out away from clinching the win. Instead, Seth Dardar singled to right field and Arvidson hit Chris Stanfield to load the bases.
Arvidson got ahead of LSU star Jake Brown 0-2 before Brown worked the count 1-2 and hit a soft grounder into the shift. Jay Abernathy nearly made an impressive play to get a 4-6 fielder’s choice but his toss was just a bit off line.
The left-handed reliever got the final out of the inning to preserve the tie and the game headed to extra innings.
How Tennessee Fell In Extra Innings
Tennessee worked out of a massive jam in the 10th inning but did not do anything offensively. In the 11th inning, LSU took the lead via Cade Arrambide’s third home run of the game.
The Vols offense found a way to answer. Blaine Brown led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a sac bunt, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Levi Clark sac fly that was nearly a walk off home run.
But things spiraled for Tennessee’s pitching in the 12th inning. Brayden Krenzel relieved Bo Rhudy and hit Edward Yamin on the second pitch he threw. Josh Elander immediately went to Chandler Day who immediately allowed two hits that gave LSU the lead.
Nic Abraham relieved Day. He hit one batter to load the bases, got a pop out for out number two and then Arrambide hit his fourth homer of the game, this one grand slam, to end the game. Arrambide entered the game with just four home runs on the season and exited the game as the only opposing player to even hit four home runs in a game against Tennessee.
The Tigers added five more runs in the 12th inning to secure the 16-6 victory.
Box Score
Up Next
Tennessee baseball is back in action Tuesday night when they host Northern Kentucky at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch is at 6 p.m. ET with the SEC Network+ streaming the game. Tennessee the heads to Starkville for a three-game series against Mississippi State next weekend.
