Squeezed: Kentucky Wins Series vs. Top-Ranked Tennessee
LEXINGTON, Ky. – It took an extra day but Kentucky claimed its first series win over a No. 1 team since 2016 with a 5-2 rain-postponed victory over No. 1 Tennessee on Saturday at Kentucky Proud Park. It is Tennessee’s first series loss of the season and first Southeastern Conference road series defeat since 2019.
Ryan Ritter homered for his 100th career hit on Friday evening and Sean Harney picked up his first save of the season on Saturday by getting the final five outs after heavy rain and lightning in Lexington forced the game to be suspended in the top of the eighth inning. The start was delayed one hour and 43 minutes due to lightning in the area as well.
Kentucky (26-20, 9-14 SEC) now has won eight games against Top 10 opponents this season.
Zack Lee picked up the win after stranding a pair of runners in the fourth inning and delivering 3.1 innings of one-hit baseball out of the bullpen. Oraj Anu doubled in a run in the sixth inning and an insurance run in the eight for the Cats.
NOTES
- Mingione has 168 career wins, seven shy of third on UK’s all-time list.
- UK has scored in 288 of 292 games in coach Nick Mingione’s tenure.
- UK is 13-15 vs. No. 1 teams, including 11-14 at home.
- UK stole two bases and is 55-of-60 on stolen base attempts this season.
- The UK pitchers have struck out 480 in 46 games.
- Junior INF Chase Estep has reached base safely in 43 of 46 games this season.
- Junior IF Ryan Ritter hit a solo homer.
- He has 100 career hits, making him the 59th player in UK history to reach that mark and second in a week (Chase Estep, May 1)
- He has six home runs this season.
- Senior IF Daniel Harris IV has a seven-game-game hit streak and 11-game reached base safely streak.
- Senior OF Oraj Anu went 1-for-4 with two RBI.
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Sophomore RHP Austin Strickland made his first start of the season and second career.
- He threw a season-high 54 pitches in a season-high 3.1 innings.
- He allowed two runs on three hits and struck out five.
- Senior RHP Daniel Harper made his 94th career appearance.
- He now ranks third in UK history in appearances and with Logan Salow (2014-17).
