A late inning rally and a strong bullpen performance propelled No. 3 Kentucky baseball (32-5, 15-1 SEC) to a 5-3 game one victory over No. 4 Tennessee (31-7, 10-6 SEC).
The Bat Cats took game one in front of a crowd of 6,922 fans, breaking the record for the biggest crowd in Kentucky baseball history.
“It’s just an awesome feeling playing behind these people who love us and we love them,” Nolan McCarthy said.
The Volunteers took an early 2-0 lead after Hunter Ensley hit a two-run home run over the right centerfield wall.
The Wildcats responded in the bottom of the third when Ryan Waldschmidt hit a home run over the left field wall that made the score 2-1.
The Vols added to their lead in the top of the fifth when Christian Moore singled to make the score 3-1 Vols, a score it would remain for much of the game.
Trey Pooser started for the Wildcats and surrendered three runs across his six total innings of work before handing the ball to Travis Smith in the top of the seventh, with his reliever pitching a three-up, three-down inning.
“They have a real edge and toughness about them,” Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione said. “There was nobody in that dugout who did not think we were going to win.”
Kentucky returned to form in the seventh when Ryan Nicholson led off by getting hit by a pitch and was followed by a McCarthy single. After a strikeout for the first out, Devin Burkes drew a walk to load the bases.
Waldschmidt was next up for the Cats and he grounded out to first base, but Nicholson came home to cut the Vols’ lead to 3-2.
Émilien Pitre then stepped up to the plate and took the first pitch for a strike before hitting a hard grounder that ricocheted off the Vols’ third baseman and into left field, allowing McCarthy to score easily before Burkes also scored on an errant throw by the left fielder. When the dust settled, the Wildcats had a 4-3 lead.
Smith returned to the hill in the eighth and struck out Moore for the first out before Blake Burke singled and Billy Amick was hit by a pitch. Moore bounced back by striking out Kavares Tears and getting Dylan Dreiling to foul out to end the frame.
Smith’s efforts earned him the win and extended his record on the year to 3-2.
McCarthy added some insurance for the Wildcats in the eighth by sending a home run over the left field wall to give UK a two-run lead.
Johnny Hummel was called upon to try and secure the save and he began his outing by walking Dean Curley. He responded by retiring the next three Vols in order to secure the victory.
“Johnny was fantastic,” Mingione said. “Did not let the walk bother him, just handled his business like a true champion and a warrior.”
Hummel earned his fifth save of the season in his lone inning of work and lowered his season ERA to 0.92.
“Just to know that you’re up there with the best is really fulfilling and allows you to just go into every game knowing that you can beat anyone,” Waldschmidt said.
Kentucky will look to win the series in game two against Tennessee on Saturday, April 20, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.
