Tennessee picked up a Southeastern Conference series win against Kentucky on Saturday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The No. 4 Volunteers totaled 15 hits in its 11-2 win.
Kentucky (26-15, 10-11 SEC) took a 1-0 lead out of the gate when Coltyn Kessler drove in the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning.
After being held off the board in the bottom of the opening frame, the Volunteers came up with a pair of runs in the second. Jordan Beck had an RBI double that drove in Drew Gilber with the tying run.
Pete Derkay gave UT (34-11, 14-7 SEC) the lead for good when his sacrifice fly plated Luc Lipcius a short time later.
In the third, the Big Orange extended its advantage to 3-1 when Evan Russell was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, allowing Liam Spence to come home.
Jake Rucker had an RBI single in the fifth to make it 4-1 before the Vols scored seven runs in the sixth inning.
In that frame, Rucker had a grand slam and Lipcius clubbed a two-run homer, making it 10-2 after the Wildcats tallied an unearned run in their half of the fifth.
Max Ferguson also had an RBI single in the frame for Tennessee.
Beck finished with four hits for the Vols. Rucker had two hits and drove in five runs, while Spence also had three hits for Tennessee.
On the mound, Blade Tidwell posted a solid performance as he pitched 5.1 innings. Tidwell (5-2) yielded two runs (one earned), four hits, three walks, while striking out five.
Redmond Walsh hurled 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. He had five strikeouts en route to recording his fifth save of the season.
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