LEXINGTON ? The 26th-ranked Kentucky baseball team left the game-tying runner on base in the ninth inning of a 7-6 loss to No. 12 Tennessee in the first game of a three-game series on Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Antone DeJesus kept the Wildcats? hopes alive by drawing a two-out walk in the ninth, but was left on first base when Sean Watson struck out Collin Cowgill to end the game.
Watson earned the win for Tennessee (17-5, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) out of the bullpen after working two innings and fanning four batters. He entered with a 6-5 lead to open the eighth and promptly gave up a leadoff double to pinch-hitter Michael Bertram. After a passed ball, John Shelby brought him home with a sac fly to center to tie it.
However, the Vols answered in their half of the eighth as Chris Siewert led off with a single. He was sacrificed to second and took third with one out on a wild pitch. With the infield in, Jarred Frazier singled up the middle for the game-winning RBI.
Matt Robinson, one of five UK pitchers on the day, earned the loss after allowing the eighth-inning run. Starters Aaron Tennyson and James Adkins did not factor in the decision.
The game was close throughout with Kentucky (18-5, 2-2 SEC) opening up an early lead. DeJesus doubled to start the game and came home on a fielder?s choice by Ryan Strieby two batters later. That became UK?s offensive pattern as DeJesus scored three runs in the first five innings, driven in by Strieby each time.
In the third, it was a leadoff triple and a sac fly. In the fifth, DeJesus singled and scored on Strieby?s two-out single. DeJesus finished a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
Strieby?s hit extended his hiting streak to 11 games and he has now reached safely in all 23 games this year. He entered the game second in the SEC with 31 RBIs and drove in three in the game.
Both teams scored a run in the first and Tennessee made it 2-1 on Tony Delmonico?s home run in the second. DeJesus tied it in the third before both teams put up a run in the fourth to make it 3-3.
In Kentucky?s half of the fourth, Shaun Lehmann made it around to third on an error by right fielder Brian Van Kirk on his RBI single. However, he was caught trying to score on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning.
Tennessee took control of the game with a three-run fifth. Trailing 4-3, Michael Rivera laced a one-out single to setup a go-ahead two-run home run by J.P. Arencibia to left. After allowing a single Kelly Edmundson, Tennyson was pulled. Edmundson came around to score on a Delmonico RBI single to make it 6-4.
Lehmann led off the seventh with a walk and went to third on Justin Scutchfield?s double. A Cowgill groundout made it 6-5, but Strieby struck out with Scutchfield on third to end the inning.
The loss was the third this year for Kentucky in its opponent?s last at bat and UK?s 10th last at-bat loss in SEC play since last year.
The two teams return to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. Craig Snipp (4-0, 1.69) takes the hill for Kentucky against Craig Cobb (4-0, 1.75).
