NASHVILLE — After two days of minimal offense, the Vols responded by scoring in the first five innings of Sunday’s game against Vanderbilt.
As the bats found their stride, the pitching and defense faltered. The game came down to the final pitch as Vanderbilt completed the sweep with a 16-15 win, their third walk-off of the weekend.
Blaine Brown went 3-for-5 on the day for the Vols (18-10, 3-6 SEC) with a home run, a double and three RBIs. He was joined by Trent Grindlinger and Reese Chapman, who combined for seven more RBIs.
Offense scores in five straight innings to start game
During Saturday’s matchup, the Vols’ offense managed to post five runs over 16 innings, with all five runs coming in a single inning.
Trailing two games in the series to the Commodores (17-12, 5-4 SEC), the bats were going to need to wake up if the team wanted a chance to win. After the end of the first, that point was only cemented as the Vols found themselves trailing by three runs already.
After two quick outs at the top of the second, Levi Clark got a rally started after reaching base from an error. The Vols did what they couldn’t do the rest of the weekend, and cashed in as the Vols tied the game back at four runs after a three-run home run from Brown.
The third saw more situational hitting. Tyler Myatt brought home a run from a sacrifice fly before Clark singled in the second run, giving the Vols a 6-4 lead before the Commodores grabbed that lead back the next half inning.
Reese Chapman and Trent Grindlinger kept the party rolling through the fourth inning, adding three total runs, before the team added three more in the fifth inning.
That marked five consecutive innings to start the game, during which the Vols had at least one run cross home. After the first five innings, the Vols’ offense fell flat, scoring just three runs in the final four innings, all coming in the top half of the ninth.
“It’s a gutting, gutting game,” head coach Josh Elander said. “Tough, tough weekend. And our guys just need to get back off the mat. There’s plenty of conference play left, and we can talk about being in these games, but you got a five-run lead in the ninth — you got to attack the strike zone and go do it. Better response from our offense today. We’re far from playing anywhere near our best baseball. Got four games at home next week and we just need to get going because it ain’t going to be any easier. That’s part of this league. Our guys will and can respond.”
Nic Abraham’s outing isn’t enough
Nic Abraham tossed a career-high in innings against the Commodores on Sunday, and while the final score may suggest otherwise, his performance kept his team in the game all afternoon until he finally ran out of gas in the bottom of the ninth.
Evan Blanco started the game, coming off one of his best starts of the year against Missouri, but he responded with one of his worst. The lefty went just three innings, allowing eight earned runs, while walking one and striking out just two.
Abraham relieved Blanco, and while his final stat line shows four earned runs, he entered the ninth with just one earned.
“Just changing speeds and keeping the ball down,” Elander said. “The way the ball flew all day long, that’s what we needed to do, and he did a good job of that. Just kind of ran out of gas there late.”
It was obvious that he was gassed, prompting Elander to call Mark Hindy out of the pen. Hindy couldn’t get the out on his guy, forcing Brayden Krenzel to attempt to get the final two outs with the Vols up three.
Instead, Krenzel yielded the game-winning home run.
Trent Grindlinger earns opportunity after big game
A freshman out of Huntington Beach, California, Grindlinger continues to make strides at the plate. Sunday, Grindlinger pinch hit for an injured Stone Lawless, where he delivered three hits over four at-bats. He brought in a team-best five RBIs in the process.
His season numbers move to an impressive .536 batting average over just 28 at-bats, and he also has 14 RBIs.
“Trent did good coming off the bench, and I thought the guys swung the bat well coming back-and-forth,” Elander said. “Just a weird game with the way the ball was playing. A very offensive day all the way around.”
With Lawless more likely to miss some time after being struck in the face by a pitch in the early goings of Sunday’s game, Grindlinger is bound to get more looks, whether as a catcher or designated hitter.
