Cats score first sweep of Vols in 20 years

The UK baseball team's 20 runs Sunday were good enough for the team's first series sweep at Tennessee in 20 years.

Ryan Wilkes homered and knocked in four runs as the Cats finished off the Volunteers with a 20-5 victory.

The Wildcats trailed 5-3 before taking the lead for good in a five-run fourth inning highlighted by Sawyer Carroll's three-run homer. UK later added five runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to pull away.

UK starter Greg Dombrowski gave up seven hits and five runs -- four earned -- in 21/3 innings before being replaced by Andrew Albers

Albers (7-3) pitched 52/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out eight.

Wilkes was 3-for-4 with a team-high four RBI, and his ninth home run of the season.

Chris McClendon reached base safely in each of his first five plate appearances, with doubles in three consecutive at bats. The junior third baseman finished 4-for-5 with three RBI.

Wilkes hit .476 with eight runs scored, one double, three homers and 12 RBI during UK's 4-0 week. The Cats defeated Wright State 21-3 on Tuesday.

Brian Spear and Keenan Wiley each contributed multi-hit games Sunday as every UK starter tallied a hit. Spear was 2-for-4 with three RBI, Wiley 2-for-6 with two RBI.

The Cats entered the weekend series tied with Tennessee for the eighth and final spot in the SEC Tournament. The winners of the two divisions and the teams with the six best conference records after that receive bids to the tournament, which will be held May 21-25 in Hoover, Ala.

UK (14-13) is now tied for fourth in the league with Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. The Cats will finish their season with a three-game homestand against Ole Miss this weekend.

Arkansas (13-13) is a half- game behind the four-way tie for fourth and South Carolina (13-14) is the top team on the outside looking in going into the final week of league play.