Sunday Recap: Six weekend sweeps; Vols walk off LSU twice

Six sweeps. Arkansas, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt all posted three-game sweeps over the weekend. The six sweeps ties for the most in SEC history. The feat was last accomplished on the opening weekend of the 2017 season. Tennessee swept LSU for only the second time in school history, with a pair of walk off wins. Arkansas capped off a dominating weekend with a sweep of Mississippi State in Starkville. South Carolina extended its winning streak to five games with its first sweep of Florida since 2006. Georgia used a late rally to post a 6-4 win at Texas A&M and avoid the seventh SEC sweep of the weekend.

TEAM OF THE DAY:

Tennessee posted two walk off wins on Sunday to sweep LSU for only the second time in school history. Tennessee center fielder Drew Gilbert capped the back-and-forth game with a walk off home run with one out in the 11^th inning. Tennessee first baseman Luc Lipcius delivered a walk off single in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 3-2 win in the nightcap to complete the sweep. Tennessee’s only other sweep over LSU came in 2008. The Vols are 5-1 in SEC play for the first time since 2001.

GAME OF THE DAY:

In a game that spanned two days, Tennessee posted a 9-8 walk off win in 11 innings over LSU. Gilbert capped the back-and-forth game with a walk off home run with one out in the 11^th inning. The home run was reviewed and the call stood giving the Vols the win. LSU led 2-0 in the third inning before Tennessee stormed back to take a 7-2 lead after six innings. LSU scored five runs over the next two inning to take an 8-7 lead. Right fielder Dylan Crews and left fielder Gavin Dugas both homered in the 3-run eighth inning. Dugas’ 2-run homer to dead center gave the Tigers the lead.

Tennessee left fielder Evan Russell belted three home runs to tie the Vols single-game record against LSU. The game was suspended due to weather in the top of the ninth inning and resumed on Sunday. Russell, batting from the ninth spot in the batting order, homered in his first three at-bats against the Tigers. He hit a two-run homer in the third inning and fifth inning and added a solo homer in the sixth. He struck out to end the eighth inning and then the game was suspended.

PLAYER OF THE DAY:

South Carolina centerfielder Brady Allen belted two home runs to lead the Gamecocks to an 8-5 win to complete its first sweep of the Florida Gators since 2006. Allen hit a solo home run in the third inning and added a two-run shot in the sixth in the 8-5 win. South Carolina hit five home runs in the series finale.

PITCHER OF THE DAY:

Arkansas relievers Caden Monke, Zack Morris and Jaxon Wiggins held MSU scoreless over the final four innings to complete the sweep of the Bulldogs in Starkville. Monke entered the game in the sixth after Ryan Costeiu allowed back-to-back home runs. Josh Hatcher greeted Monke with a double, but the reliever retired the next three batters. Morris pitched around an error in the seventh inning with a double play and strikeout. Wiggins pitched two scoreless innings using a mid-90s fastball and slider for the save. He allowed a leadoff walk and one-out single in the eighth but pitched out the jam. He allowed a leadoff single in the ninth but a double play ended the threat.

SUNDAY RECAPS:

Arkansas 6, Miss. State 4

Records: Arkansas (19-3, 5-1 SEC); Mississippi State (17-7, 2-4 SEC)

Series: Arkansas won series, 3-0

Streaks: Arkansas 7-game winning streak; MSU 4-game SEC losing streak

Arkansas hit nine home runs and got solid relief pitching in its three-game sweep at Mississippi State.

The Razorbacks closed the deal on Sunday with a 6-4 win to complete its first sweep in Starkville since 2010.

Arkansas scored five runs in the fourth inning and held off a couple of late MSU rallies for the win.

Designated hitter Matt Goodheart got things started on Sunday with a solo home run, giving him at least one home run in four straight games. Shortstop Jalen Battles, second baseman Robert Moore and third baseman Jacob Nesbitt also had run-scoring hits in the inning.

MSU got two runs back in the bottom of the inning to chase starter Lael Lockhart. Neither starting pitcher lasted past the fourth inning.

The bullpens took over and Arkansas excelled for the third straight day.

Arkansas scratched out a run in the sixth inning with a bases loaded walk against MSU strikeout specialist Landon Sims. Sims walked a season-high four batters on Sunday.

MSU got back-to-back home runs from designated hitter Luke Hancock and catcher Logan Tanner to cut the lead to 6-4 but got no closer.

Costieu, who allowed the two home runs in the sixth, was credited with the win. Monke, Morris and Wiggins combined for three scoreless innings and got a pair of double play to escape late-inning jams.

Tennessee 9, LSU 8 (11)

Tennessee 3, LSU 2 (8) (Knoxville)

Records: LSU (16-8, 1-5 SEC); Tennessee (21-4, 5-1 SEC)

Series: Tennessee won series, 3-0

Streaks: Tennessee 5-game winning streak; LSU 3-game losing streak

Tennessee posted two walk off wins on Sunday to sweep LSU for only the second time in school history. Tennessee center fielder Drew Gilbert capped the back-and-forth game with a walk off home run with one out in the 11^th inning. Tennessee first baseman Luc Lipcius delivered a walk off single in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 3-2 win in the nightcap to complete the sweep. Tennessee’s only other sweep over LSU came in 2008.

The Vols are 5-1 in SEC play for the first time since 2001.

In a game that spanned two days, Tennessee posted a 9-8 walk off win in 11 innings over LSU. Gilbert capped the back-and-forth game with a walk off home run with one out in the 11^th inning. The home run was reviewed and the call stood giving the Vols the win.

LSU led 2-0 in the third inning before Tennessee stormed back to take a 7-2 lead after six innings. LSU scored five runs over the next two inning to take an 8-7 lead. Right fielder Dylan Crews and left fielder Gavin Dugas both homered in the 3-run eighth inning. Dugas’ 2-run homer to dead center gave the Tigers the lead.

Tennessee left fielder Evan Russell belted three home runs to tie the Vols single-game record against LSU. The game was suspended due to weather in the top of the ninth inning and resumed on Sunday. Russell, batting from the ninth spot in the batting order, homered in his first three at-bats against the Tigers. He hit a two-run homer in the third inning and fifth inning and added a solo homer in the sixth. He struck out to end the eighth inning and then the game was suspended.

The Vols led 2-0 in the series finale before LSU tied the game in the sixth inning. Cade Beloso hit a solo homer in the fourth inning and Jordan Thompson tied the game with a sixth-inning single.

Lipcius gave the Vols their second walk off win of the day in the bottom of the eighth inning.

South Carolina 8, Florida 5 (Columbia)

Records: Florida (16-8, 3-3 SEC); South Carolina (16-6, 4-2 SEC)

Series: South Carolina won series, 3-0

Streaks: South Carolina 5-game winning streak

South Carolina belted five home runs, including two by centerfielder Brady Allen, to complete its first sweep of the Florida Gators since 2006.

Allen hit a solo home run in the third inning and added a two-run shot in the sixth in the 8-5 win.

The Gamecocks belted three solo home runs in the second inning to take a 3-1 lead. Designated hitter Wes Clarke and right fielder Andrew Eyster hit back-to-back homers to open the frame. Catcher Colin Burgess hit a two-out homer in the inning.

Clarke homered in the last two games of the series and leads the NCAA with 13 home runs this season.

The two teams combined for six home runs in the first four innings on a windy day at Founders Park.

Florida right fielder Sterlin Thompson hit a solo home run in the second inning and third baseman Kirby McMullen added a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

Shortstop George Callil narrowly missed a three-run homer in the sixth when his long fly ball it off the top of the wall in left-center field for a two-run double. Allen followed with a two-run homer, his second of the day.

Florida catcher Nathan Hickey added a two-run single in the eighth.

The Gators were swept for the fourth time in their last 11 SEC series. Florida was swept three times in 2019 by Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Georgia. Since 2019, UF has been involved in seven sweeps in the last 11 series.

Georgia 6, Texas A&M 4 (College Station)

Records: Georgia (16-7, 2-4 SEC); Texas A&M (17-9, 2-4 SEC)

Series: Texas A&M won series, 2-1

Georgia infielder Josh McAllister started and finished the Bulldogs comeback at Texas A&M on Sunday.

McAllister sparked a four-run rally with an RBI single in the seventh inning and then added a solo home run in the eighth inning to give the Bulldogs a 6-4 in over the Aggies and avoid the sweep.

McAllister started the four-run seventh inning with a RBI single. Connor Tate and Riley King delivered RBI single that tied the game and Tate scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. McAllister (3-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) added some insurance with a solo home run in the eighth inning.

Texas A&M led 4-1 after six innings but could not hold the lead. The Bulldogs scored five runs against the Aggie bullpen.

Jonathan Cannon worked five innings before turning the ball over to Jaden Woods, who logged four innings for the win.