The Tennessee Volunteers made a bold statement in their regular-season finale series opener, taking down the Oklahoma Sooners 9-7 on Thursday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City. With the win, Tennessee improves to 36-18 overall and 14-14 in SEC play, while Oklahoma falls to 31-19 and 13-15 in conference action.

Starting pitcher Tegan Kuhns set the tone early, battling through five innings of work. Despite allowing 12 hits and five runs (four earned), Kuhns showed resilience, striking out five batters and throwing 72 strikes out of 108 pitches. The bullpen stepped up in a big way, with Cam Appenzeller delivering 2.2 strong innings of relief, fanning two batters on 42 pitches. Bo Rhudy closed the door in the final 1.1 innings, striking out three and earning his third save of the season.

The Vols' offense came alive when it mattered most, racking up seven hits in the series opener. Levi Clark and Henry Ford each launched home runs, providing the power Tennessee needed to counter Oklahoma's 17-hit attack, which included three homers of their own. It was a back-and-forth battle, but Tennessee's timely hitting and clutch pitching proved to be the difference.

Game 2 is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. EDT, with the Vols looking to build on their momentum. Oklahoma still holds the all-time series lead 3-2, but Tennessee is hungry to even the score. As the regular season winds down, every win counts—especially in the competitive SEC—and the Vols are proving they have what it takes to finish strong.