Luke Maile's timing was impeccable.
His two-run homer in the fourth inning helped Kentucky to a 3-1 Southeastern Conference victory over Arkansas at Cliff Hagan Stadium.
The Easter Sunday win came in a game that was suspended due to rain on Saturday night, 0-0 in the third inning.
Timing didn't work in UK's favor in Sunday's regularly scheduled game.
Trailing 5-1 as rain fell again, UK put runners on first and third for the top of the order. Before Chad Wright could dig in, though, lightning was spotted and the game was called. The final score, reverting to the end of the fifth inning, was 4-1.
"Disappointing," UK Coach Gary Henderson said. "Disappointing to actually have the tying run on deck and the game's 'lightning' called."
Still, the weekend was a success for UK. The Wildcats (19-22, 4-14 SEC) had lost 12 consecutive conference games coming into the weekend. They not only ended that streak, they won a series against Arkansas, a team that is ranked as high as 12th in nation, for the first time since 2005.
"Any time you take two out of three in this league, you're doing a good job," Maile said. "Obviously, we put ourselves behind the eight-ball a little bit and we needed probably to take that last game. But the only way you can look at it is it's a step in the right direction."
Arkansas (28-11, 9-9) is tied for the SEC West lead with Auburn and Mississippi.
"It was a game we had to have," Razorbacks Coach Dave Van Horn said after the finale. "We can't get swept. ... We'll get out of here and try to regroup, and get it going next week at Georgia."
In the opener, UK not only got timely hitting from Maile, but big efforts from a trio that combined on a five-hitter.
"The pitching was outstanding and we got some timely hits," Henderson said. "And I thought our defense was really good. Impressive. Especially infield defense."
Corey Littrell (5-3), who threw three innings Saturday, came back to toss another 22⁄3 Sunday. His combined totals were a run, three hits, two walks and four strikeouts.
Fellow lefty Alex Phillips took over with a run in, runners on first and second, and two outs in the sixth. He got the third out and worked 22⁄3 innings of two-hit ball, exiting with one on and one out in the ninth.
Right-hander Trevor Gott struck out James McCann and pinch-hitter Sam Bates to notch his second save.
UK also had only five hits. Thomas McCarthy had two, including a single that put him on before Maile's blast down the left-field line.
"I got a 2-1 fastball inside," Maile said. "I was looking for it and I was able to put a good swing on it — finally."
UK added a run in the eighth, via singles by Wright, Taylor Black and McCarthy.
In the nightcap, UK took a 1-0 lead on second-inning singles by J.T. Riddle, Michael Williams and Matt Reida.
Arkansas tied in the third. Kyle Atkins, who led off with a single, scored on Matt Reynolds' sacrifice fly.
The Razorbacks added three in the fourth. McCann singled in one and scored on Jarrod McKinney's double. Tim Carver's sacrifice fly plated McCann.
McCann had a sixth-inning homer negated by the rain.
