KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 4 Tennessee dropped game two of its series against Kentucky, 8-2, after the Wildcats scored six runs over the final three innings to pull away and even the series at one game apiece.
Despite pitching well, Will Heflin was stuck with the loss after allowing three runs in 6.1 innings of work. The senior lefty gave up eight hits but also had six strikeouts and did not issue a walk.
Liam Spence and Jackson Greer both finished with two hits on the night to lead the offense. Greer hit his third home run of the season and has now homered in all three SEC games he’s started.
After four and a half scoreless innings, Jackson Greer got the scoring started with his second home run in as many days to put the Vols ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth.
Heflin gave the Vols five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the top of the sixth. T.J. Collett led off with a single to put a runner on base for John Rhodes, who hit a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left center to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
Luc Lipcius quickly knotted things back up at two with a solo blast over the batter’s eye in dead center field in the bottom of the sixth before Kentucky retook the lead on a two-out RBI single by Austin Schultz in the top of the seventh.
The Wildcats went on to score five more runs off of the Vols bullpen in the eighth and ninth, adding two more home runs to put the game away.
Tomorrow’s rubber game between the Vols (33-11 // 13-7 SEC) and Wildcats (26-14 // 10-10 SEC) will start at 1 p.m. and be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
NOTABLE
GREER STEPPING UP: With starting catcher Connor Pavolony temporarily sidelined due to injury, ETSU graduate transfer Jackson Greer has stepped up in a major way. Greer has homered in both games in the series and has hit a home run in all three SEC games he’s started this season.
Box Score (PDF) | Vitello, Heflin & Greer Postgame
-UT Athletics
