KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — In a Southeastern Conference series decider defined by a historic individual performance and a relentless late-inning onslaught, the LSU Tigers outlasted the Tennessee Volunteers 16-6 in 12 innings Sunday afternoon and evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

The game, a marathon lasting nearly four and a half hours, was a tale of two distinct contests: a tense, low-scoring pitchers’ duel that stretched into extra innings, and a sudden, record-breaking offensive explosion that decided it.

For the first nine innings, the teams were locked in a 5-5 stalemate. Tennessee starter Evan Blanco was sharp, allowing two earned runs on four hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out six. LSU countered with a dominant bullpen effort, as relievers Grant Fontenot, Zac Cowan and Gavin Guidry combined for 12 innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball from the third inning through the 11th. Guidry was particularly pivotal, earning the win with 5 1/3 innings of relief, allowing just one unearned run on zero hits.

The Volunteers had struck first, capitalizing on LSU errors in a chaotic third inning. After a run scored on a sacrifice fly, left fielder Blaine Brown launched a grand slam to center field, plating four unearned runs for a 5-0 lead.

LSU chipped away, with designated hitter Cade Arrambide hitting a solo home run in the fifth. The Tigers then tied the game in the seventh with a sudden power surge, as Jared Pearson, Arrambide and Seth Dardar hit back-to-back-to-back homers to knot the score at 5-5.

The game remained deadlocked until the 11th, when Arrambide struck again, giving LSU a 6-5 lead with his third homer of the day. Tennessee answered in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Lance Clark to force a 12th inning.

Then, the floodgates opened. LSU sent 16 batters to the plate in the top of the 12th, scoring 10 runs on nine hits against four Tennessee pitchers. The inning featured Arrambide’s crowning moment—a grand slam to right field, his fourth home run of the game. Steven Milam added a two-run homer later in the frame, and Derek Curiel contributed an RBI triple as the Tigers turned a one-run nail-biter into a decisive rout.

Arrambide’s final line was one for the record books: 5 for 6 with four home runs, seven RBIs and four runs scored. His four-homer game is an exceptionally rare feat in college baseball. Milam finished 3 for 7 with a homer and three RBIs, while Dardar and Curiel each had three of LSU’s 19 hits.

For Tennessee, Brown’s first-inning grand slam accounted for most of their offense, as the Volunteers managed only five hits total. Brandon Arvidson took the loss in relief.

With the victory, LSU clinched the weekend series two games to one and improved to 22-11 overall and 5-7 in the SEC. Tennessee fell to 20-12 and 6-6 in conference play.

The most important part of the game was undoubtedly the top of the 12th inning. After trading runs in the 11th to extend the game, LSU’s offense erupted in a historic display, transforming a tight, extra-inning contest into a lopsided victory. The 10-run inning, capped by Cade Arrambide’s fourth home run of the day, was a stunning and decisive turn that overwhelmed Tennessee’s beleaguered bullpen and secured a crucial series win for the Tigers on the road.

LSU next hosts Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday. Tennessee is scheduled to face Northern Kentucky at home on Tuesday.