KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee had the tying run on first with two outs in the ninth inning but could not get any closer as they fell to No. 1 Arkansas, 3-2.
For the third straight day the No. 4 Vols took the lead early before seeing the Hogs claw back to take a lead.
Tennessee senior Pete Derkay singled in the fifth inning and came around to score on a Max Ferguson sacrifice to shortstop to open the scoring.
Arkansas tied it in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to center and took the lead an inning later on an RBI-double by Zack Gregory. They added an insurance run in the ninth by Robert Moore.
Tennessee showed signs of life to begin the final frame. Junior Luc Lipcius hit a double to start but Jordan Beck struck out on three pitches and pinch hitter Kyle Booker could only get a ground out to advance Lipcius to third.
Lipcius would score on a single by Connor Pavolony to make it a one-run game but a fly ball to right field by Liam Spence ended the game.
All three games of the series were decided by one run.
No. 4 Tennessee (39-13, 18-9 in SEC) will finish their conference slate this coming weekend in Columbia, South Carolina, when they face the No. 25 Gamecocks. Arkansas (39-10,19-8) will return home to face Florida.
The Vols have loss just two weekend conference series this year to No. 1 Arkansas and No. 2 Vanderbilt.
