#5 Tennessee Claims Series With 5-2 Victory Over #15/18 Arkansas

Sunday, March 24

Knoxville, Tenn.

12 pm

University of Tennessee

26-5, 4-2

Arkansas

22-9, 4-5

Arkansas

Tennessee

Photo by: Adrien Terricabras/Tennessee Athletics

#5 Tennessee Claims Series With 5-2 Victory Over #15/18 Arkansas

March 24, 2019 | Softball

Box Score Box Score Highlights Postgame Interview: Co-Head Coach Karen Weekly Postgame Interview: Seniors Haley Bearden & Matty Moss

By: Rachel Gunia

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 5 Tennessee mounted a comeback win, 5-2, over No. 15/18 Arkansas in the series finale to claim its second Southeastern Conference series of the season.

The Lady Vols improve to 26-5 on the year and 4-2 in SEC play while the Razorbacks drop to 22-9 (4-5 SEC). It's the first time since 2014 that UT has won back-to-back conference series to start the season, having also taken the first two games at then-No. 4 Florida earlier this month.

At the plate, Tennessee was led by senior Haley Bearden. She went 2-for-3 (1 R, 2 RBI) and launched her ninth home run of the season into the outfield bleachers to score the Orange and White's final two runs of the game. Jenna Holcomb and Chelsea Seggern also tallied a hit and RBI each for UT.

Freshman Ashley Rogers got the starting nod in the circle and threw 3.0 innings. She allowed just one run on two hits in the no-decision. Matty Moss entered in long relief and held Arkansas to one run on three hits through four innings to earn her ninth win of the season.

After two scoreless innings, Arkansas scratched the first run of the game across in the third as the Razorbacks led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field.

In the top of the fourth, the Hogs' leadoff batter drew a walk to prompt a Tennessee pitching change. Moss entered with a runner on first and with the defense behind her, made it a three-up, three-down frame. Her first batter faced flew out to center before Seggern caught a line drive and fired to first for a double play.

Carrying the momentum to the bottom of the inning, Tennessee tied the game up on one hit and an error. Bearden led off with a single to center before Treasuary Poindexter entered the game as a pinch runner. The Covington, Tenn., native came around to score on a fielding error by the Razorbacks' left fielder three at-bats later to make it a 1-1 game.

In the fifth, the Lady Vols plated four more runs on three hits and another error to take a 5-1 lead. Aubrey Leach reached first base on a defensive miscue by Arkansas' shortstop and proceeded to score the go-ahead run on Holcomb's second triple of the season. Seggern then hit an RBI-single before Bearden knocked the homer, scratching across two insurance runs.

Not going away quietly, Arkansas scored the final run of the game in the sixth inning on two hits and a groundout to shortstop. The Razorbacks put another runner on in the seventh, but Moss struck out the side to end any hope of a rally.

ON DECK: Tennessee is home for a week before traveling to Columbia, Mo., to take on the Mizzou Tigers in a Saturday to Monday series on March 30 through April 1.