UK Athletics Photo
In a series more befitting a Super Regional stage, No. 2 Tennessee outlasted No. 3 Kentucky 13-11 in a heavyweight series finale in front of another massive crowd at Kentucky Proud Park on Sunday afternoon.
UK shattered its previous record attendance for a three-game series, packing 21,023 fans into the ballpark over the weekend. Friday broke the single-game record, Saturday then re-set the mark again at 7,304 and Sunday’s gate would have set the mark previously established before this weekend. The previous series total attendance had been 12,815 in 2018 in the final weekend of Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The teams split the first two games, setting up a blockbuster Sunday. It didn’t disappoint.
Tennessee jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Cats (32-7, 15-3 Southeastern Conference) responded with six straight runs to take a four-run lead into the back half of the contest. But the Volunteers, in particular Christian Moore, wouldn’t submit.
Moore, who hit three homers in the game, hit two over the final four innings including the backbreaker with two outs in the eighth inning. But the big damage was done in the sixth when a combination of timely hits and UK’s struggle to get a put away pitch conspired to yield five runs and allow the Vols back into the game. Moore finished 4-for-5 with six RBI, a double and three homers.
UK wasn’t done though, as it brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning after back-to-back home runs by Mitchell Daly, his second of the game, and Ryan Nicholson. Devin Burkes, Nolan McCarthy and Grant Smith also homered in the game but five of the six were solo shots that couldn’t overcome the four shots Tennessee hit.
One Response
Our pitching leaves much to be desired at times.