Tennessee walks it off to take game No. 1 over Kent State

· Yahoo Sports

Tennessee’s Jay Abernathy returns to the dugout after getting out during an NCAA college baseball game against Nicholls on Feb. 13, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee breezed through the first four games of the season without much drama at all. That would change on Friday night as the Volunteers welcomed Kent State to town. The Golden Flashes are a strong program, picked to finish second in the MAC this season. They showed why pretty early on, keeping a stout Tennessee off the board with some good pitching and defense.

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Despite plenty of opportunities for the 13th-ranked Vols, Tennessee couldn’t get that early run across. Instead, it was Kent State taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the 4th. Tennessee starter Tegan Kuhns, who wasn’t exactly sharp with multiple hit batters early on, gave up his first hit of the day as Kent State took a 1-0 lead.

Kent State starter Ciaran Caughey was able to dance out of multiple potential scoring situations, including a 2-out, bases loaded spot. Tennessee drew four early walks, but couldn’t quite find that key hit thanks to some big time defensive plays.

Kuhns went 5.2 innings for the Vols, but didn’t get any run support. He would finish with four strikeouts, three hit batters and just one hit allowed. Kuhns threw 91 total pitches.

Finally in the bottom of the 6th, the offense got going. Reese Chapman smacked a ground-rule double over the center field wall, then tagged to 3rd. He would score on the next at-bat. Jay Abernathy broke the tie directly after, crushing a two-run home run into the scoreboard.

Brayden Krenzel took over on the mound for Tennessee and went two 2.0 innings before running into trouble. Krenzel joined the them of hitting Kent State batters, then tossed a wild pitched. The Golden Flashes would pick one back up, cutting the Tennessee lead back to 3-2.

Duke transfer Mark Hindy got Tennessee out of the inning and onto the 9th.

Bo Rhudy came in to close things down for the Volunteers and immediately hit another batter, putting one on with nobody out. Rhudy would come back with a strikeout, but Max Humphrey laid down a perfect bunt to put a second man aboard. Yet another hit batter would load the bases.

Kent State’s best hitter, Sawyer Solitaria, would deliver a single to tie the game at three each. Brady Frederick would come on and get out of the jam, getting two ground balls to end the threat.

And in stepped Tyler Myatt — who Josh Elander pinch-hit for Ariel Antigua — who hit an absolute moon-shot to dead center. The JUCO product hit 31 homeruns last year and hits another one in the biggest spot of the young season for his new team.

The Vols did quite a bit to not deserve that one, and frankly Kent State made some incredible plays early to keep Tennessee off the board. In the end, Myatt saves the day.

Tennessee and Kent State will play game No. 2 tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.

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