KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Blake Grimmer launched a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday night, lifting Tennessee to a 4-2 comeback victory over South Carolina Upstate at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The Volunteers, who were held scoreless for the first six innings, rallied to tie the game in the seventh before Grimmer’s dramatic blast to right-center field off Spartans reliever Cayden Mackey completed the comeback. The win improved Tennessee’s record to 18-7, while South Carolina Upstate fell to 12-14.

The game’s most pivotal sequence came in the bottom of the seventh, with the Volunteers still trailing 2-0. After a walk and a fielder’s choice, pinch-hitter Tanner Myatt delivered a single to load the bases with one out. Grimmer struck out, but Braden Brown followed with a sharp single to right-center, driving in two runs to knot the score at 2-2 and completely shifting the game’s momentum.

Tennessee’s victory was anchored by a dominant bullpen effort, which combined for 8 2/3 innings of one-run relief after starter Tracey T. failed to record an out. The star was reliever Nic Abraham, who entered in the fourth inning and stifled the Spartans’ offense over a crucial 3 1/3-inning stint, allowing three hits and no runs while striking out three. Abraham’s performance, following a scoreless inning against Eastern Kentucky on March 17, stabilized the game for Tennessee after South Carolina Upstate had taken an early lead.

Brady Frederick also provided key relief, striking out four over 2 1/3 scoreless innings after replacing T. in the first. Bo Rhudy earned the win after pitching the eighth and part of the ninth, and Brayden Krenzel recorded the final out of the top of the ninth to set the stage for the walk-off.

South Carolina Upstate seized the initial advantage in the first inning without a hit. Three walks loaded the bases, and Parker Lucas drove in the first run with a fielder’s choice. The Spartans added a critical insurance run in the top of the ninth on an RBI double by Tyler Bentley, scoring Lucas, who had doubled, to break a 2-2 tie.

The Spartans’ pitching staff largely contained a potent Tennessee lineup for most of the night. Starter Nathan Hook and relievers Jack Gibson, Reece Hemmerling and Andrew Kummer combined for 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits. Mackey took the loss, charged with the two ninth-inning runs.

Tennessee managed seven hits to South Carolina Upstate’s six. Brown led the Volunteers with two hits and two RBIs, while Bentley and Lucas each had two hits for the Spartans.

The Volunteers, who took two of three from Missouri last weekend, now turn their attention to a Southeastern Conference road series at Vanderbilt beginning Friday. South Carolina Upstate, coming off a road series loss at Longwood, opens a three-game home set against UNC Asheville on Friday.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which gave Tennessee an 83% probability to win but had simulated a higher-scoring 6-5 final.