FAYETTEVILLE — For a brief moment, it looked like Arkansas might pull off a classic come-from-behind victory over Tennessee on Thursday.
A chaotic and controversial play sparked a three-run eighth inning that pulled the No. 8 Razorbacks within a run of the No. 17 Volunteers, but a head-scratching decision by Dave Van Horn quickly erased their comeback bid and they lost 10-7 in the series opener at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Tennessee was clinging to a 7-6 lead heading into the ninth when the veteran Arkansas coach opted to bring electric left-hander Hunter Dietz in to try to keep it that way.