Oklahoma
Tennessee
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (05/14/2026) — The Tennessee Volunteers overcame an early three-run deficit with a decisive third-inning rally, powering their way to a 9-4 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners on Thursday at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
Trent Grindlinger drove in a team-high three runs, while starting pitcher Evan Blanco delivered a quality start to secure the win for Tennessee. The Volunteers' offense produced runs in four separate innings, consistently applying pressure after falling behind in the first frame.
How It Happened
The Oklahoma Sooners struck first and with authority. In the bottom of the first inning, Camden Johnson launched a two-run home run to center field, giving his team an immediate 2-0 advantage. Oklahoma added another run before the inning was over when T. Gambill grounded into a double play that allowed Deiten LaChance to score, pushing the Sooners' lead to 3-0.
Tennessee's offense remained quiet until the top of the third. Manny Marin ignited the comeback with an RBI triple to left-center, scoring Blaine Brown to get the Volunteers on the board. J. Abernathy followed with an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The key blow came from Trent Grindlinger, who singled to right field to drive in two runs, giving Tennessee a 4-3 lead it would never surrender.
The Volunteers extended their lead in the fifth when H. Ford reached on a fielding error, allowing Blake Grimmer to score an unearned run and make it 5-3.
After a few scoreless innings, the action picked up again in the eighth. Tennessee manufactured two more unearned runs on a pair of sacrifice flies from Blaine Brown and Manny Marin, pushing the score to 7-3. Oklahoma answered in the bottom of the frame with an RBI triple from Dasan Harris to make it 7-4, but that was as close as the Sooners would get.
Tennessee added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Grindlinger collected his third RBI of the night with a single to center, and Reese Chapman followed with an RBI double to establish the final 9-4 score.
Turning Point
The entire complexion of the game shifted in the top of the third inning. Trailing 3-0 and struggling to generate any offense, the Volunteers staged a four-run rally that seized all momentum. The sequence began with Manny Marin's triple and was capped by Trent Grindlinger's two-run, go-ahead single. The rally erased Oklahoma's fast start and put Tennessee in control for the remainder of the contest.
Star of the Game
Trent Grindlinger was the offensive catalyst for the Tennessee Volunteers. He finished the night 2-for-5 with a run scored and a team-high three RBI. His two-run single in the third inning proved to be the game-winner, and his RBI single in the ninth provided crucial insurance. Honorable mention goes to starting pitcher Evan Blanco, who settled in after a rocky first inning to pitch six complete innings, striking out six batters while allowing three runs to earn the win.
What It Means
For the Tennessee Volunteers, this is a significant non-conference win that demonstrates offensive resilience. After falling into an early hole on the road, the lineup responded with a decisive rally and continued to add runs throughout the game. The pitching staff, led by Blanco's quality start and 2.2 solid relief innings from Brandon Arvidson, effectively shut down the Oklahoma offense after the first inning.
For the Oklahoma Sooners, it's a frustrating result that began with promise. The early power from Camden Johnson gave them a commanding lead, but the pitching staff couldn't hold it. Starter Xander Mercurius was charged with five runs over five innings, and the bullpen allowed four more, including three unearned runs, highlighting a need for cleaner execution on defense and from the pitching staff to close out games.
