NASHVILLE — Tennessee adjusted its weekend rotation, starting Brandon Arvidson on Friday instead of Tegan Kuhns.
Despite clawing back, the Vols couldn’t capitalize as the Commodores walked off with a 3-2 win to open the weekend series.
Arvidson and Kuhns combined for 9.1 solid innings. Arvidson pitched five, allowing two runs and striking out seven. Kuhns followed with 4.1 innings, tossing six strikeouts and was charged with the final run.
Brandon Arvidson shows good — and not so good — in his first start
The left-handed pitcher from Dripping Springs, Texas, was called on to make the Friday night start against Vanderbilt (15-12, 3-4 SEC) after a few rough outings from Kuhns.
Arvidson retired the side in order against the heart of the Commodores lineup to open the game and continued to settle in during the following inning, despite allowing his first baserunner on a single.
The third inning proved his toughest for the Vols (18-8, 3-4 SEC). After a flyout to open the inning, Ryker Waite doubled to put Vanderbilt in scoring position. A strikeout recorded the second out, but the next three hitters reached base.
During that stretch, Brodie Johnston hit a soft grounder to the middle infield that bounced just enough to allow him to reach first safely and bring home the runner from third.
Korbin Reynolds added a solo home run in the fifth, which marked the final run Arvidson allowed. He finished with five innings, two earned runs, two walks, four hits and seven strikeouts.
In a game where offense was scarce, he kept Tennessee within striking distance.
“I thought he was good,” Tennessee head coach Josh Elander said. “I thought the poise was good. That’s what you want. He threw on the road for the first time, throwing strikes and breaking ball was good. Change was good as well. So, got him close to 90 pitches and continued to push the envelope there. Keeping the big picture in mind with him. We got a lot of confidence in (Brandon) Arvidson.”
Connor Fennell takes a no-hitter into the fifth inning
The Vols’ offense struggled throughout the night as Connor Fennell held Tennessee hitless through the first 5.1 innings.
During that span, Fennell hit one batter and walked another, but both baserunners were stranded.
“Just changing tempos,” Elander said. “The tempo and the delivery. He’s always trying to fight guys on getting their eyes up. It’s been his MO and how he’s competed. Something we talked about all week, but just did a good job. Our guys did not get to the fastball. There were so many balls hit foul and he didn’t throw as many off-speed pitches as he did versus last year. But whether it was sink in the wind or whatever, we just didn’t get to the heater.”
After Levi Clark struck out to lead off the sixth, Blake Grimmer broke up the no-hitter with a double down the right-field line. Henry Ford followed with another hit.
The Vols capitalized with small ball to score their first run, as Grimmer crossed the plate after the catcher caught Ford stealing.
Fennell exited with one out in the eighth inning, finishing with nine strikeouts while allowing one earned run.
Vols’ offense can’t come through
Pitching led the way for Tennessee, but the offense struggled to deliver in key moments.
Clark tied the game with an RBI single in the eighth after Fennell exited. However, the Vols were unable to generate further offense. In a stretch where the bats have struggled, Clark has found some consistency.
“He’s getting better,” Elander said. “That’s what our expectations are of him, to be right in the middle of the order, so writing him in the nine spot right now, I think that’s just kind of what is best for the team. We’ll see where we’re at tomorrow. But at the same time, he’s showing signs of being Levi, which is someone we desperately need right now.”
One of Tennessee’s final opportunities came in the 10th inning with runners on the corners and two outs. After fouling a ball off his leg and briefly appearing shaken, the batter struck out swinging.
The Commodores then walked off the game in the bottom half of the inning.
