A career day for Christian Moore
After being down 6-2 through five frames, the Vols put up 11 runs in innings 6-8 as Christian Moore’s third home run of the day came in the eighth — a three-run shot — to help put away a pesky Kentucky team, 13-11.
The game looked bleak for Vol fans for most of the game as starter Zander Sechrist and relievers Andrew Behnke and Nate Snead gave up six runs in 4.1 innings.
Neither team scored until the third, when Tennessee took the first lead of the game with two runs from Moore’s first home run of the day after a Cal Stark walk.
CMo with his second homer of the series and we strike first again!
https://t.co/BqOlt1CUfZ (SECN+)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUK pic.twitter.com/eK4fEoLTeb
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 21, 2024
UK catcher Devin Burkes hit a one-out solo home run off Sechrist to get one of the runs back, but despite giving up two consecutive hits after the home run, Sechrist managed to limit the damage. UK had three hits but scored just the one run and stranded two of its six total in the game.
Kentucky’s Mason Moore made quick work of the Tennessee bats in the fourth and the fifth, with the Vols hitting into a double play in the fifth to give him an assist.
Sechrist surrendered a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning and then gave up a single to the next batter. Tony Vitello was pretty quick with the hook, bringing in Behnke, but that didn’t help matters as Behnke got one out on a fielder’s choice but plunked two batters before Vitello brought Snead in. Snead immediately gave up a two-run double and a sacrifice fly. He got the next batter to line out to end the inning, but four runs on three hits and the Vols were down 5-2.
The Cats added another run in the B5 to stretch their lead to 6-2, but the Tennessee bats came to life in the T6. Mason Moore hit Cal Stark to start the half inning and Christian Moore followed with a double. Blake Burke hit a run-scoring single, Billy Amick hit a run-scoring single and advanced to second on a UK error, Kavares Tears drew a four-pitch walk and Dylan Dreiling hit another run-scoring single. Kentucky changed pitchers, Dean Curley took a five-pitch walk and Cannon Peebles came in as a pinch hitter and hit a sac fly that plated Tears. Five runs on four hits and a little help from the Cats’ defense and the Vols led 7-6. Burke’s single extended his hitting streak to 30 games:
Bloop single for Burke makes it 30 straight games with a hit an we’ve got something going here!
https://t.co/BqOlt1CUfZ (SECN+)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUK pic.twitter.com/oe4hdSBRBf
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 21, 2024
But the lead didn’t last — Kirby Connell walked the lead-off batter, got two outs and then gave up a two-run homer.
UT battled back in the T7 with Christian Moore’s second home run that came with one out. This one went 399 feet with a 106 exit velo:
CMo again and we’re tied!!!
https://t.co/BqOlt1Cmqr (SECN+)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUK pic.twitter.com/F4pZfDhTDr
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 21, 2024
Burke followed with another single and stole second after Billy Amick struck out, but the stolen base didn’t matter much since Tears left the yard on a full-count pitch with his 13th home run of the season.
KT coming up CLUTCH!!!
https://t.co/BqOlt1CUfZ (SECN+)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUK pic.twitter.com/aePHKWr4Uw
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 21, 2024
Connell gave up another home run in the bottom half of the inning but struck out two and kept Tennessee’s lead intact at 10-9.
Curley started the eighth with a single, and Peebles followed with a full-count walk. An out from a Reese Chapman fielder’s choice and an out from Dalton Bargo put Christian Moore up again, and he went deep, again. This was No. 19 for the season for Moore and went 396 feet with a 112 exit velocity:
YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!
CMo for the third time today!
https://t.co/BqOlt1Cmqr (SECN+)#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUK pic.twitter.com/VQB9tGWOp3
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) April 21, 2024
Connell gave up a single in the bottom of the eighth but kept the Cats from scoring, and the Vols went down in order in the top of the ninth.
Cats do indeed have nine lives, as they just wouldn’t quit. After Connell induced a fly-ball out to start the ninth, Kentucky hit back-to-back home runs to cut Tennessee’s lead down to just two runs. Connell got another out but then allowed a single, and Vitello brought in Marcus Phillips, who hadn’t pitched in conference play until today. But he’s got good stuff and flashed a fastball in the high-90’s. He got Burkes to fly out to finally put this one to bed.
Christian Moore ended the day 4-5 with three HRs, a double and six RBIs.
This marked Kentucky’s first series loss of the year, and made it five-straight SEC series wins for Tennessee. UT returns to Knoxville for a midweek game against Western Carolina Tuesday at 6 PM EST and then Missouri is next up for the weekend series.