RECAP: Cats bounce back strong, end Game 2 blues
UK's Ben Aklinski awaited a pitch in Saturday's game.
SEC Network
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
Kentucky finally shook its Game 2 blues.
The No. 11 Wildcats got a strong start from Zack Thompson and home runs from Luke Becker and Troy Squires in a 10-3 win over Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville. It marked UK's first victory in a middle game of an SEC series after losing seven straight this season.
Getting Thompson back healthy proved to be huge for Kentucky (30-16, 11-12 SEC). The sophomore left-hander missed all of those previous seven middle games due to an injury but returned to toss three innings of no-hit baseball, striking out seven of the 11 batters he faced to get the Cats off on the right foot against the Vols.
Thompson exited after reaching his pitch-count limit set by the UK staff. He threw 51 pitches in his second appearance since returning from the injury. The first was a one-inning relief stint last weekend.
From there, a committee of relievers did the job, holding Tennessee to just three runs on eight hits the rest of the way. Zach Haake (2-4) picked up the win, working a scoreless fifth inning.
In the sixth, the Cats gave him the lead on a three-run homer by Becker.
Tennessee (26-23, 9-14 SEC) clawed within 4-3 but the Cats put the game away with two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth, including Squires' three-run homer.
UK also got multi-hit games from Tristan Pompey and Coltyn Kessler after being held to only three hits as a team in a 6-2 loss on Friday.
Sean Hunley (6-2) took the loss for the Vols, allowing three runs on six hits in 5.1 innings as the starter.
The series wraps up with the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
UK's Ben Aklinski awaited a pitch in Saturday's game.
SEC Network
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
Kentucky finally shook its Game 2 blues.
The No. 11 Wildcats got a strong start from Zack Thompson and home runs from Luke Becker and Troy Squires in a 10-3 win over Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville. It marked UK's first victory in a middle game of an SEC series after losing seven straight this season.
Getting Thompson back healthy proved to be huge for Kentucky (30-16, 11-12 SEC). The sophomore left-hander missed all of those previous seven middle games due to an injury but returned to toss three innings of no-hit baseball, striking out seven of the 11 batters he faced to get the Cats off on the right foot against the Vols.
Thompson exited after reaching his pitch-count limit set by the UK staff. He threw 51 pitches in his second appearance since returning from the injury. The first was a one-inning relief stint last weekend.
From there, a committee of relievers did the job, holding Tennessee to just three runs on eight hits the rest of the way. Zach Haake (2-4) picked up the win, working a scoreless fifth inning.
In the sixth, the Cats gave him the lead on a three-run homer by Becker.
Tennessee (26-23, 9-14 SEC) clawed within 4-3 but the Cats put the game away with two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth, including Squires' three-run homer.
UK also got multi-hit games from Tristan Pompey and Coltyn Kessler after being held to only three hits as a team in a 6-2 loss on Friday.
Sean Hunley (6-2) took the loss for the Vols, allowing three runs on six hits in 5.1 innings as the starter.
The series wraps up with the rubber match on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
