Vols' home finale no fun, 20-5

Photo by Saul Young

Tennessee catcher Blake Forsythe (21) slides into second base, but not before Kentucky's Ryan Wilkes forces him out. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 5-3 Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Photo by Saul Young

Tennessee shortstop Danny Lima (13) catches a ground ball against Kentucky Sunday. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 5-3 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Photo by Saul Young

Tennessee coach Todd Raleigh tosses a foul ball into the dugout during Sunday's 20-5 loss to Kentucky at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

There was no relief Sunday afternoon for Tennessee's baseball team. An ugly stretch only got worse.

No. 22 Kentucky had 16 hits during a 20-5 victory at Lindsey Nelson Stadium that extended the Vols' losing streak to nine games.

It was the Vols' most lopsided loss of the season, and it happened on senior day in the 2008 home finale.

"It obviously hurts when you know you're playing your last game at the stadium," senior outfielder Shawn Griffin said, "and to go out and get beat 20-5, it wasn't how you pictured it the night before."

UT (25-27, 11-16 SEC) likely will need a three-game sweep next weekend at South Carolina - plus a lot of help - to make the SEC tournament.

"We'll just go next weekend and keep playing," UT coach Todd Raleigh said. "I don't know what the poker (saying) is, 'You've got a chip and a prayer,' is that what they say in Texas Hold 'Em?"

Senior right-hander Zane Stone, who had pitched 17 innings this season before Sunday and was 0-0 with a 5.82 ERA, got his third start of the season and his first against an SEC opponent.

Junior right-hander Ty'Relle Harris, who has started the last four Sunday SEC games, was the third of six UT pitchers.

"We figured if we could bring (Harris) in the fourth, maybe he can take us the rest of the way," Raleigh said, "because every game Ty'Relle pitches we have the lead and we just can't hold it and he just ran out of gas."

Kentucky (38-14, 14-13) had seven extra-base hits, including three homers.

"They hit the ball well," Raleigh said. "Our pitching, it's the same in the middle of the week (as Sunday). It gets exposed."

Kentucky took a 3-1 lead in the third, chasing both Stone and reliever Jeff Lockwood. Harris ended the inning with a strikeout.

The Vols then scored four in the fourth.

P.J. Polk led off with a single. One out later, Lockwood hit an RBI double and Cody Brown followed with a two-run homer.

Griffin doubled, and Danny Lima's RBI double gave the Vols a 5-3 lead. Kentucky starter Greg Dombrowski was relieved by right-hander Andrew Albers.

Tanner Moore greeted Albers with a double - Lima held at third - and Albers ended the inning with a strikeout and groundout.

"At that point, we had a good feeling about what was going on," Griffin said.

It didn't last long.

Kentucky scored five runs in each of the next two innings for a 13-5 lead.

Harris pitched the fourth and gave up three hits and walked two. Sawyer Carroll's three-run homer was the big hit. Brown's error at third early in the inning didn't help.

Steve Crnkovich pitched the fifth for the Vols and gave up three hits, walked one and hit one.

Kentucky added five runs in seventh for an 18-5 lead. Ryan Wilkes and Chris Wade each hit a two-run homer off the Vols' Ryne Simpson.

Raleigh said his team's effort wasn't a problem Sunday.

"It's hard to say they're not hustling," he said. "I think we're fine with that."