Stop me if you’ve heard this one before — Tennessee blew a big lead and dropped a key conference game on Sunday.
The Volunteers jumped out to a 5-0 lead, powered by a grand slam from the slumping Blaine Brown.
LSU would slowly work their way back though. The Tigers would hit a few solo homeruns, two coming from designated hitter Cade Arrambide, to cut into the lead. Three solo shots in the 7th would pull LSU to within
one run in a 5-4 game.
Tennessee, trying to close things out with Brandon Arvidson, came oh-so-close to doing so. Arvidson worked the bases loaded and forced a ground ball, but it was hit just soft enough, and Tennessee was playing just deep enough, that they couldn’t make the play.
To extra innings we went, and LSU wasted no time taking a 6-5 lead. Tennessee would get a man on to start the bottom of the 11th and played small ball to work him to second, then to third on a wild pitch. Levi Clark sent a shot out to dead center, where it would fall about two feet short of ending the game. The loud sacrifice fly would tie the game, however.
And that’s where the fun ended for the Volunteers. LSU quickly got two men on and knocked one in, then Arrambide ended the game with a grand slam. It was hit fourth home run of the afternoon.
LSU dropped a ten-spot on Tennessee in the 12th to go on to win 16-6, taking the series with a 2-1 advantage. Tennessee falls to 20-12 on the season and 4-8 in SEC play.
Evan Blanco went 6.2 innings and threw 102 pitches, giving up two earned runs in a start that should have given him the win. Brady Frederick gave up two quick solo shots to keep LSU in the game, then Arvidson had an adventure of a 9th inning.
Two times, one defensively and one offensively, Tennessee could have closed this one out. Both ended up being inches away to continue the theme of the Vols being unable to close games out. We saw the same thing happen on Friday night, twice last weekend in Nashville, and three weeks ago in Athens. This season could be so different looking right now, but instead the Volunteers sit among the worst teams in the conference standings.
Tennessee’s bullpen issues continue to show up in the highest of high-leverage spots, with no end in sight. Josh Elander suddenly finds himself needing to string together wins, sitting squarely on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee will play Northern Kentucky on Tuesday night before heading to No. 4 Mississippi State next weekend.
