Four Quick Takes on another frustrating outcome for Tennessee on the road
Tennessee baseball came up short on the road Friday night, falling to Arkansas by a final score of 5-2 in game one of the three-game conference series.
The Vols (23-11, 5-8 SEC) got out to a quick lead with two runs in the first, including a leadoff round tripper from Jared Dickey. The Razorbacks (27-7, 8-4) responded with a three-run third frame, taking advantage fo two Volunteer errors, and capping it off with a two-run home run by Tavian Josenberger.
Andrew Lindsey (0-2) is charged with the loss for Tennessee despite pitching well in just three innings. Hunter Hollan (6-1) is awarded the victory after settling in for two runs off five hits in six innings of work. The Vols plated two runs on six hits and committed three errors defensively while the Hogs scored five runs off seven hits.
Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday night with first pitch on the SEC Network+ beginning at 7 pm eastern. But first, how did this one happen for the Volunteers?
What a Start!
We’re not used to seeing a start like this one in Southeastern Conference play. Nope, but hey, Tennessee will take it every time. Jared Dickey led off the series with a wall-scrapping home run in right to put the Vols on the scoreboard. It was his sixth long ball of the season. Christian Moore singled behind him and hustled all the way around to third on a Griffin Merritt single to left, taking advantage of a ball bobbled by the left fielder. The second baseman was later gifted home plate on a balk from Arkansas starter Hunter Hollan.
Tennessee plated the two runs off three hits in the frame and witnessed some good hustle from Moore. New Friday night starter Andrew Lindsey needed just 14 pitches to collect a pair of strikeouts and three outs in the bottom half of the inning. In 12 conference games coming into the night, the Vols allowed opponents to score in the first inning in seven of those games for a total of 18 runs.
Here We Go Again
It’s unfortunate that Tennessee revolted back to old ways in the third after that great start – but that’s exactly what happened with some sorry defensive plays out in the field. On an attempted 4-6-3 double play ground ball, Maui Ahuna missed the flip from Christian Moore at the second base bag. Later in the frame, Parker Rowland came around to score from third on a throw from Cal Stark behind the plate that sailed away from the second base bag while trying to cut down a base stealer. Looked as if Ahuna was late to the bag as well. A two-run home run later cleared the bases and gave the home team the lead.
Next time out, Moore’s dirtball to first base that Blake Burke couldn’t pick allowed Brady Slavens to reach base as the leadoff man. He would later come around to score from third base when Parker Rowland grounded into a bases-loaded double play. Again, an error defensively resulted in another run for the Hogs. Tennessee entered the game with 26 errors and only 93 earned runs allowed (lowest in the conference). The Vols exit Friday with 29 errors on the season and 96 earned runs allowed on the year, meaning two of Arkansas’ five run-total tonight were unearned.
Andrew Lindsey Deserved Better
Tennessee shook up its starting rotation for the weekend and needed a good outing from Andrew Lindsey who got the nod out of the gate. The stats won’t show it, but he threw well enough to win this game. However, thanks to some horrendous defense behind him, his night lasted only into the fourth and was pulled after just 58 pitches. Now, Tony Vitello said during his midgame interview they were banking on four and hoping for five innings, and that was easily attainable if not for the defensive miscues.
Two of the four runs against him came via errors. His one blemish of the night was a two-run shot he surrendered to Tavian Josenberger during the three-run third. The righty allowed four hits but walked none while striking out five batters. Lindsey needed just 14 pitches to collect three outs in the first and needed only 12 pitches to get through the second, but the errors in the third and fourth inning drove his pitch count up. The junior arguably has the best stuff on Tennessee’s staff and despite the loss, he absolutely deserves another start next week for the Vols.
Another Swing-And-Miss Type Approach
Tennessee has really racked up the strikeout totals in games the past two series. If you remember, the Vols were retired on strikes 18 times in game one to Florida last week (tied a program record) and struck out another 14 times in game two the next day. Tonight, Arkansas pitchers struck out Tennessee 13 times en route to the three-run victory. Every Vol in the order recorded at least one strikeout with Christian Moore, Griffin Merritt, Zane Denton and Cal Stark each doing so twice.
Hunter Hollan sat down six batters in six innings on strikes while Hagen Smith retired seven in just three innings of work to follow for the extended save. After the three-hit first inning for the Volunteers, Tennessee logged just three more hits the rest of the way. Jared Dickey was the lone batter to record a multi-hit day for the visitors, leading off the game with a homer and singling in the fifth.
The post Four Quick Takes on another frustrating outcome for Tennessee on the road appeared first on On3.
