For the first time in nine seasons, Kentucky baseball leaves Knoxville with a series victory, dominating No. 2 Tennessee in an 8-2 series-clinching victory on Easter Sunday afternoon at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Wildcats improved to 22-15 overall and 8-10 in the Southeastern Conference, combining outstanding pitching with relentless baserunning and timely hitting to claim the weekend. UK now has won three of its last four games in Knoxville and only allowed three total runs in those victories.
Lefty Ben Cleaver followed the lead of Nic McCay a day before by challenging one of the nation’s top power hitting teams and getting ahead in counts. Cleaver navigated the lineup through 7.0 innings, yielding only a two-run home run while walking one and striking out seven. Simon Gregersen closed things out with a pair of scoreless innings.
Cleaver and McCay laid the blueprint for success, going a combined 14.2 innings and allowing just three runs (two earned) on seven hits. They walked four and struck out 19.
UK scored a pair of runs early, led 3-2 after seven, and then added on in the eighth and ninth innings. The Cats stole 16 bases in the final two games of the series and made every critical defensive play.