Tennessee baseball prevented Kentucky’s comeback bid with a 10-9 victory Sunday over Kentucky in Lexington to avoid a sweep.
The Vols lost the first two games of the series but were able to pick up a much-needed win to leave Kentucky Proud Park with a win.
Tennessee led 7-1 at the seventh-inning stretch, but Kentucky scored eight runs across the final three frames to make the game a nail-biter. The Wildcats brought the winning run to the plate twice in the ninth.
However, Brandon Arvidson recorded the final two outs to get Tennessee to the finish line. Levi Clark was instrumental in the win as well, accounting for two homers, the second of which was a three-run blast in the top of the ninth to give Tennessee crucial insurance runs.
The Vols bounced back at the plate after poor Friday and Saturday performances, getting a man on base in every inning after the first. Reese Chapman and Blaine Brown tallied a pair of hits while Garrett Wright and Clark co-led the team with three.
Here’s three takeaways Tennessee achieved its 11th SEC series win of the season.
Landon Mack Bounces Back
Tennessee starting pitcher Landon Mack delivered a nice bounce-back outing after two poor starts leading up to the weekend.
Mack had given up 11 runs in 8.0 innings across two starts against Ole Miss and Alabama prior to the Kentucky series, As a result, the sophomore was moved back to the Sunday starter after starting the previous four Fridays.
Mack recorded his best start since April 3 against LSU in Lexington, allowing one run on six hits and two walks while striking out five.
The Rutgers transfer’s outing wasn’t smooth out of the gate. He allowed one run in the first after a walk, stolen base and wild pitch set up an RBI infield single. Mack had to work for his outs, too, needing 28 pitches in the opening frame.
But Mack settled in afterward, allowing no more than one baserunner at a time until the sixth. Mack got a flyout to end the sixth and strand a pair. He did not come back out for the seventh.
With weak bullpen depth, Tennessee is going to ask its starting pitching to carry a heavy load for the remainder of the season. Mack returning to form was one of the biggest developments of the weekend for Tennessee.
More From RTI: LIVE Updates, Score, Notes: Tennessee Baseball at Kentucky Game Three
Tennessee Finds Rhythm at the Plate, Clark’s Big Swing
Tennessee was shut down in games one and two against Kentucky at the plate, but the Vols displayed much better consistency in game three.
UT had a baserunner in every inning, totaling 15 hits after recording just 11 in the first two games of the series combined.
Chapman and Clark began the scoring in the second with back-to-back solo homers. Blaine Brown scored on a wild pitch in the third after he and Wright singled to open the frame.
Brown came through again an inning later with a bases-loaded single, and Wright delivered an RBI fielder’s choice to score UT’s fifth run.
A Chapman double and Clark sac fly put Tennessee ahead 7-1 at the seventh-inning stretch, giving the Vols a commanding lead.
But bullpen issues allowed Kentucky to cut the lead to two runs and later one entering the ninth.
Clark then provided the biggest swing of the day for the Vols, launching a three-run blast to left-center on the first pitch of the at-bat.
Kentucky intentionally walked Chapman to face Clark, putting two on with one out. Clark made the Wildcats pay for their decision, as he ultimately was the deciding run in the contest.
Arvidson Gets the Save After Appenzeller, Rhudy Outings
Freshman Cam Appenzeller was Tennessee’s best bullpen arm the majority of the season, but it hasn’t been the case the last three weeks.
Appenzeller was far from his best self in Lexington, allowing four runs in the seventh while only recording two outs.
Kentucky saw the Illinois native well, tallying three straight hits after Appenzeller hit a batter with one out. The freshman’s day ended after a single plated Kentucky’s fourth run of the frame.
Bo Rhudy relieved Appenzeller and got a huge strikeout to end the seventh and did the same in the eighth to strand a pair after Kentucky had scored one run in the inning.
Rhudy came back out in the ninth with a four-run lead hoping to close the game, but a walk and two homers saw his outing come to a close.
Brandon Arvidson put out the fire, however, getting the final two outs after a single. Arvidson earned his second save of the season, a big one as his last two batters represented the winning run for the Wildcats.
Box Score
Up Next
Tennessee is back in action Tuesday against Presbyterian in the penultimate midweek game of the year. The Vols host Texas next weekend in a three-game series in Knoxville.
