HOOVER, Ala. — Tennessee's deep run in the SEC Tournament comes to a close on championship Sunday - the Vols fall to Arkansas 7-2.
The Vols scored first with a two-out double from Jake Rucker setting Drew Gilbert up for the RBI single in the bottom of the first.
What appeared to be a pitcher's duel early on between Will Heflin and Jaxon Wiggins opened up in the top of the fifth, with Arkansas taking the lead with two singles and a sac fly.
Arkansas added more insurance in the top of the seventh inning with a one-run homer to left field, but Tennessee's Pete Derkay countered with a solo shot to right.
The final nail in the coffin came in the top of the eighth however, with three runs scoring for the Hogs, two of them off the bat of Cullen Smith on a home run to right field.
While Tennessee's SEC Tournament run stops just shy of a championship, there's much to be said about how UT played all week. After falling in extra innings to ten-seed Alabama, the Vols put together three of its best games of the season, run-ruling Mississippi State and Alabama before shutting-out Florida in the semifinals. The last time the Vols made it to the Championship game was 1995. It's the first time UT has made a run this deep in the 12-team SEC tournament format.
Next up for Tennessee, the NCAA Tournament and a run at the College World Series. The Selection Show will begin at noon on Monday, you can watch the game on ESPN2. The Vols should host a Regional tournament at Lindsey Nelson Stadium, which would begin on June 4. Should it win its regional tournament, Tennessee would most likely host a Super Regional.