It became a dreary afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, and not just because of the rain.
Tennessee baseball fell 6-0 in shutout fashion to Wright State in the series finale between the two teams. The Vols (12-4) mustered six hits but could not take advantage of the opportunities they had, while the Raiders (5-8) broke through in the fifth inning and consistently pressured the Tennessee pitching staff in the later stages of the game.
The No. 19 Vols had a great chance to score in the third stanza. With two out and Levi Clark at second, Henry Ford singled into left. Head coach Josh Elander waved Clark around third, but his catcher fell victim to a strong throw, good enough to nab him at the plate and keep the game scoreless.
Evan Blanco stood dominant through the first five innings of the game, allowing just two runners to reach. In the sixth, everything fell apart.
The first two Raiders reached to set up an RBI spot for JP Peltier, who promptly roped a double into left field to plate both runners and move Wright State into the lead. Then, with two away, Cy Turner doubled home Peltier to stretch the lead to 3-0.
That would be all the cushion Raiders’ starter Chet Lax would need, as he scattered five hits across seven shutout innings while striking out four. Malachi Paplanus came on in relief in the eighth and continued the dominance over the Tennessee lineup, giving up just one hit in two innings of work.
Peltier and Zac Butler would tack on late homers for the Raiders to put the finishing touches on a Sunday win, preventing the Vols from completing the sweep.
Offensive woes
Multiple Tennessee hitters stayed hitless through the series. Jay Abernathy, Chris Newstrom, Stone Lawless and Clark went a combined 0-for-30 against Wright State. A lineup can survive a hitless weekend from a minimal number of starters. It cannot possibly function when four key cogs can’t find any contributions.
Tennessee became fortunate to come up with a pair of one-run wins to take the series entering the finale.
Manny’s momentum
Manny Marin acted as the lone Tennessee hitter with multiple hits on the day. He picked up the Vols’ only extra base hit in the fifth inning.
The sophomore had a hit in each of the four at-bats he had during the series, including the game-winner on Friday night. He boosted his average on the season from .226 to .294 with his trio of knocks. His defense up the middle stayed steady, but he will need to keep his offensive momentum going to keep his spot in a lineup still searching for their best nine.
Hard luck loss
Blanco dealt through the first five innings of the game, and it very much looked as though Tennessee could win simply by scratching out a run or two. He tallied seven punchouts and allowed a pair of men to reach.
The wheels fell off in the sixth, and the Vols could not pick up their starter. The Virginia transfer is a steady option this season, but possesses just a 2-2 record to show for it. The defense failed him in a loss to Kent State, while the offense went dry in this latest defeat.
