The #4 Tennessee Vols and #3 Kentucky Wildcats started off the biggest series of the weekend and one of the biggest of the college baseball season on Friday night in Lexington. Unfortunately for Tennessee, the Vols have some work to do to take the series after dropping the opener 5-3 late.
The Vols managed 3 runs on just 5 hits, with no one compiling more than one hit for the game.
However, Tennessee’s pitching kept them in the game through the sixth inning. After starter Chris Stamos was pulled after just 8 pitches, AJ Causey came in and pitched 5.2 innings of one-run baseball through the sixth inning, allowing only a home run to Ryan Waldschmidt.
Hunter Ensley managed to give the Vols a 2-0 lead in the second with a fly ball to right center field that bounced off the top of the wall and over. Christian Moore pushed the Vols’ lead back to two runs at 3-1in the fifth with an RBI single.
However, the wheels came off in the seventh inning. A hit batter and a single off of Causey got Kentucky going, and the Wildcats loaded up the bases with one out. A ground out scored one run and put runners at second and third with two outs. Kentucky’s Emilien Pitre hit a sharp two hop grounder to third baseman Billy Amick, who couldn’t field it. The ball flew into left field and both runs came around to score and give Kentucky a 4-3 lead. The Wildcats would tack on another run in the eighth on a solo home run to left by Nolan McCarthy.
Tennessee had one last chance in the ninth after Dean Curley walked, but fly outs by Reese Chapman and Cal Stark ended the game.
The Vols will look to even the series on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm.