Late inning insurance runs propelled Kentucky baseball (22-15, 8-10 SEC) to an 8-2 series-clinching win over No. 4 Tennessee (33-7, 12-6 SEC).
The series win marks the first for Kentucky in Knoxville since 2016.
As the eighth inning began, the Bat Cats had a slim 3-2 lead. However, Hudson Brown led off the inning with a ground-rule double and moved to third on a Kyuss Gargett single.
Dylan Koontz grounded out, but Brown scored and Gargett moved to second as a throw pulled the fielder off the bag.
Patrick Herrera scored Gargett on a single to left before Devin Burkes capped off the three-run inning with a single to right that boosted Kentucky’s lead to 6-2.
Tyler Bell and Griffin Cameron kept the offensive momentum going in the ninth as the pair hit back-to-back doubles to add another run.
After Cameron stole third, Koontz laid down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Cameron and extend the Bat Cats’ lead to the decisive 8-2 score.
Ben Cleaver came into the game looking to follow Nic McCay’s masterful outing in the game two win.
The lefty found himself throwing some high-stress pitches in the first after giving up a two-out single and allowing the runner to advance into scoring position on a balk. However, a lineout to center ended the inning.
The Bat Cats strung together a two-out rally in the second as Carson Hansen walked along with Burkes and Luke Lawrence drawing walks loaded the bases.
Ryan Schwartz delivered a single that brought home Hansen and opened the scoring. Burkes came around to score on a wild pitch that gave Kentucky a 2-0 lead.
After both teams were held scoreless in the third, Hansen and Burkes found themselves on base again in the fourth.
The duo tried to execute a double steal and the Vols tried to throw out Burkes, but the shortstop could not haul in the throw, which allowed Hansen to score to extend the Cats’ lead to 3-0.
Cleaver retired his fifth straight Volunteer before giving up a single in the fifth. The left-hander struck out the next hitter to end the inning.
After giving up a leadoff walk in the sixth, Hunter Ensley tagged Cleaver for a two-run home run that slimmed Kentucky’s lead to 3-2.
Cleaver pitched a scoreless seventh, which ended his afternoon as he turned in another excellent performance from a Kentucky starter.
Overall, Cleaver’s only blemish was the two-run homer. The lefty surrendered five hits, struck out seven and walked one.
Simon Gregersen relieved Cleaver and worked around a walk to blank the Vols in the inning. He repeated the same feat in the ninth to secure the series win for the Bat Cats.
Kentucky pitching was excellent in the final two games as they held Tennessee to its lowest run totals of the year at one and two.
Cleaver did not allow a runner to touch second base after the first inning and Gregersen did not allow a leadoff double to advance to third in the ninth.
The pitching staff held the Vols to a .188 batting average in the game as they were 6-32 at the plate.
Kentucky will return home for its next game as it will welcome No. 17 Louisville into Kentucky Proud Park on Tuesday, April 22, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
