RECAP: Unlikely hero gives Vols series win over Cats
UT's Brandon Chinea hit a game-winning home run against UK's Justin Lewis.
SEC Network
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
The most unlikely of heroes helped Tennessee cap an unlikely series victory against No. 11 Kentucky.
Brandon Chinea, the Volunteers' 9-hole hitter sporting a .144 batting average on the season, hit a two-out, two-run home run against UK's Justin Lewis in the seventh inning to give his team a 5-3 win on Sunday in Knoxville.
It marked the first home run of the 5-foot-8, 171-pound freshman's college career.
Kentucky had just rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh. UK starter Lewis appeared to be cruising through the inning when he hit the 8-hole hitter, Nico Mascia, with a two-strike pitch.
After a mound visit from UK pitching coach Jim Belanger, Lewis hung a 1-1 change-up high in the zone, and Chinea drove it deep over the leftfield wall to give the Vols the lead.
Kentucky (30-17, 11-13 SEC) went scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings, dropping the series two games to one. Tennessee (27-23, 10-14 SEC) entered the weekend with only two wins in the East all season.
The Vols' pitching staff proved to be the difference. Tennessee, which was 13th in the league in team ERA and last in opponent batting average, held the potent UK lineup to only three hits in the Game 1 victory and just four hits in the finale.
Left-hander Garrett Crotchet (5-5), who picked up a save in the series opener, was the winner on Sunday with 2.1 innings of effective relief. He allowed two runs to tie the game, but both were unearned due to a UT error.
Garrett Stallings tossed the final 1.2 innings in shutout fashion to earn his first save.
Lewis (7-3) allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks over his seven innings on the mound. The junior right-hander struck out seven.
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday at Indiana.
UT's Brandon Chinea hit a game-winning home run against UK's Justin Lewis.
SEC Network
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
The most unlikely of heroes helped Tennessee cap an unlikely series victory against No. 11 Kentucky.
Brandon Chinea, the Volunteers' 9-hole hitter sporting a .144 batting average on the season, hit a two-out, two-run home run against UK's Justin Lewis in the seventh inning to give his team a 5-3 win on Sunday in Knoxville.
It marked the first home run of the 5-foot-8, 171-pound freshman's college career.
Kentucky had just rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh. UK starter Lewis appeared to be cruising through the inning when he hit the 8-hole hitter, Nico Mascia, with a two-strike pitch.
After a mound visit from UK pitching coach Jim Belanger, Lewis hung a 1-1 change-up high in the zone, and Chinea drove it deep over the leftfield wall to give the Vols the lead.
Kentucky (30-17, 11-13 SEC) went scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings, dropping the series two games to one. Tennessee (27-23, 10-14 SEC) entered the weekend with only two wins in the East all season.
The Vols' pitching staff proved to be the difference. Tennessee, which was 13th in the league in team ERA and last in opponent batting average, held the potent UK lineup to only three hits in the Game 1 victory and just four hits in the finale.
Left-hander Garrett Crotchet (5-5), who picked up a save in the series opener, was the winner on Sunday with 2.1 innings of effective relief. He allowed two runs to tie the game, but both were unearned due to a UT error.
Garrett Stallings tossed the final 1.2 innings in shutout fashion to earn his first save.
Lewis (7-3) allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks over his seven innings on the mound. The junior right-hander struck out seven.
Kentucky returns to action on Tuesday at Indiana.
