The action was split across two days because of the weather, but Tennessee baseball still got a 9-4 win over Oklahoma.
The Vols (37-18, 15-14 SEC) took down the Sooners (31-20, 13-16 SEC) on Saturday afternoon to claim the series win in Oklahoma City and the seventh win of their last eight games.
Tennessee starter Evan Blanco allowed three runs in the first frame, but was rock solid after that, keeping the Sooners off the board and eating up six innings on 99 pitches.
Staying on script — sort of
Both teams followed the previous game’s script early. The Sooners once again quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but just like in the first game, the Vols responded with four runs in the third inning.
Inclement weather made the game go off script, however, as a lightning delay caused play to be suspended until Saturday afternoon, with Tennessee up 5-3 in the seventh inning when play stopped.
After play resumed on Saturday, the Vols stretched the lead with four total runs in the eighth and ninth innings, while the Tennessee bullpen held the Sooners to just one additional run as Brandon Arvidson closed out the remainder of the game.
First time for everything
Tennessee’s bats faced off against Oklahoma freshman Xander Mercurius, who made the first start of his collegiate career after appearing in relief 15 times this season. The Sooners’ pitcher handled the Vols to open the game, sending down the first six batters, including three strikeouts. But Tennessee got the better of Mercurius in the third inning, as the Vols plated four runs on four hits, including a Manny Marin triple.
That inning was the only blemish for Mercurius, although the Vols would score an additional unearned run in the fifth. Mercurius ended his first start with five innings and four earned runs, while notching six strikeouts.
Vols finally above water
With the win, Tennessee moves to 15-14 in SEC play. It’s the first time the Vols have held a winning conference record since March 13, when they kicked off SEC play with a win over Georgia. Since that point, Tennessee has been at or below .500 in conference all season.
Tennessee also claimed its first back-to-back series wins of the season after taking two out of three from Texas back at home last weekend. The Vols will gear up for the series finale on Saturday afternoon, scheduled for 45 minutes following the conclusion of game two.
