The Kentucky Wildcats baseball team began the 2026 season red hot. At one point they won 13 straight games, including a three-game sweep of the Alabama Crimson Tide to open SEC play. However, things went downhill from there. They lost six consecutive series against conference teams, and found themselves squarely on the postseason bubble. They needed wins.
Enter the Tennessee Volunteers, who are ranked 24th in the country. With the Wildcats season on the line, they strung together back-to-back wins, and have clinched a series victory against the Vols by beating them 12-2 on Saturday.
Jaxon Jelkin was dominant on the mound, pitching a complete game in the win. He gave up just two hits and two earned runs while striking out 11, and walking none to earn his seventh win. It was an impressive performance in a huge game for the Wildcats.
The Kentucky offense was also terrific. Caeden Cloud had two hits, including one of the team’s four homeruns, and four RBIs. Tyler Bell also homered and drove in two. In all seven different hitters had at least one RBI. They totaled 12 hits, 2 walks, and 4 batters were hit by pitches.
Game three will be on Sunday at 1:00 P.M. ET.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky baseball beats Tennessee to clinch series win