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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – No. 24 Tennessee secured its fifth series win in Southeastern Conference play with a 9-4 victory in game two of its series against No. 20 Oklahoma at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.
Ain’t no love in Oklahoma #GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/9wTbQiVxOB
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
The contest was suspended due to inclement weather with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning on Friday night and resumed at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday with the Volunteers leading 5-3.
Series finale from OKC is underway! Vols going for the series sweep against the Sooners.
📺 https://t.co/bowjjq5u5h#GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/V8ZyI7AWET
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
Redshirt junior reliever Brandon Arvidson took over on the mound after the restart and quickly got two outs to send the game into the eighth, where the Vols manufactured a pair of runs on back-to-back sacrifice flies from Blaine Brown and Manny Marin to increase the lead to 7-3.
Series secured 🔒#GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/8H67sg0izS
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
Arvidson gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth but finished the game to record his third save of the year, allowing just the one run on three hits.
This series belongs to the Vols!
We'll go for the sweep in about 45 minutes!
📺 https://t.co/NjULJqygWj#GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/3Qy4e0c7cF
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
The Vols (37-18, 15-15 SEC) added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth for good measure as Trent Grindlinger and Reese Chapman both cashed in with a pair of two-out RBI hits to make it 9-4 Tennessee.
Literally never a doubt!
📺 https://t.co/NjULJqygWj#GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/8BF2KX82Bi
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
Friday’s game started very similarly to Thursday’s series opener with the Sooners (31-20, 13-16 SEC) racing out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. A two-run homer from Camden Johnson opened the scoring before a third run scored on a double play ball to give OU a 3-0 advantage heading into the second.
T9 | Ford hammers a two-out double off the base of the wall in right center!
Sooners making a pitching change as RHP Reid Hensley takes over looking to keep OU's deficit at three runs. He'll face Grindlinger, who will look to add to our lead!
7-4 Vols#GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/37TjSVyZlV
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
Senior lefty Evan Blanco settled in nicely after the rocky first inning, tossing up five straight scoreless frames to get the Vols into the seventh inning with a lead.
T8 | Two runs across after back-to-back sac flies from Blaine and Manny!
7-3 Vols
📺 https://t.co/NjULJqygWj#GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/5iwDlWBPRh
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
Blanco struck out the side in the fifth and worked out of a bases-loaded jam to end the sixth by getting Kyle Branch to ground out to third base to end the threat. The Massachusetts native finished with six strikeouts while allowing five hits, including just two over his final five innings of work.
B7 | We're back underway with the continuation of yesterday's suspended game! Brandon Arvidson will take over on the mound to get things going.
Situation is currently a runner on first with one out for OU and the Vols leading, 5-3.
📺 https://t.co/NjULJqygWj#GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/rH5732r4I8
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
Just like game one, UT rallied to take the lead with a four-run third inning. Marin laced a triple to the wall in left-center field to score Brown from first for UT’s first run of the night. Jay Abernathy followed with an RBI infield single and eventually came around to score on a two-run single from Grindlinger to put Tennessee ahead 4-3 with two outs.
Lightning strikes continuing and now some thunder has entered the equation… 🫤
Still no timetable on a potential restart. pic.twitter.com/Stuv726xnJ
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
Grimmer scored again in the fifth inning, racing all the way home from first on a hard-hit ground ball from Henry Ford that went right between Johnson’s legs at third base.
Veteran moxie on full display from Blanco to stand the bases loaded!
📺 https://t.co/86zciPmUHf #GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/UoN7FwvzdZ
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
Grindlinger and Marin led the Big Orange at the plate with two hits apiece and a combined five runs batted in.
Who else?!
The freshman comes through again!
📺 https://t.co/86zciPmUHf #GBO🍊 // #OTH pic.twitter.com/Pac7Bxk6nO
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) May 16, 2026
UP NEXT: The Vols and Sooners get right back at it for the third and final game of this weekend’s series with first pitch slated for 3:30 p.m. ET.
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