Devin Burkes Homers in Series-Opening Defeat
Knoxville, Tenn. – Devin Burkes blistered a line two-run home run off the videoboard to open the scoring but No. 2 Tennessee scored eight unanswered runs on its way to an 8-2 series-opening victory on Friday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Burkes’ fifth homer of the season was part of a three-hit first inning off National Pitcher of the Year candidate Liam Doyle that also included freshman Ryan Schwartz’s first collegiate hit. Tennessee answered right back with a single through the infield, bunt single, walk and RBI groundout. It looked like UK (20-15, 6-10 Southeastern Conference) might escape without further damage but Reese Chapman bounced a two-strike single back up the middle and out of the reach of Luke Lawrence to score two and give the Volunteers a 3-2 edge after one inning.
The game stayed that way until the Cats loaded the bases in the fifth inning on a pair of hit by pitch and a walk before an infield fly and strikeout ended the threat. Tennessee used the momentum to add a leadoff solo home run in its half of the inning and then got a pair of home runs from Cannon Peebles over the back half of the game to stretch its advantage.
NOTES
- Kentucky is 20-15 (6-10 SEC) on the season.
- UK now has held a lead in 15 of 16 SEC games this season after Devin Burkes’ 1st inning home run.
- UK drew two HBP in the game and now have 103 on the season.
- UK entered the weekend ranked second nationally.
- UK now has played its first 16 SEC games against No. 3, No. 16, the preseason No. 1, No. 9, No. 2 and No. 2.
- UK Coach Nick Mingione is in his ninth season at the helm and now owns a 283-179 career record.
- Mingione is the second-winningest coach in school history.
- UK is 61-65 in the month of April under Coach Mingione.
- Mingione now is 9-13 vs. Tennessee.
- C Ryan Schwartz made his first collegiate start, in right field.
- Schwartz looped a single to left-centerfield in his first AB of the night.
- INF Tyler Bell now has reached base safely in 34 of 35 career games.
- C Devin Burkes hit a two-run home run, his fifth of the season.
